The Iraqi Navy has officially received the final 35m-long coastal patrol boats, PB-312, from the US Navy at Umm Qasr Naval Base south of Baghdad following successful completion of reactivation in Bahrain.
US Navy Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships’ Support Ships, Boats and Craft programme manager Frank McCarthey said: "The team successfully delivered all 12 important assets to the Iraqi Navy, supporting Iraq’s security requirements."
The navy has procured the patrol boats from the US to boost its ability to enforce maritime sovereignty and security in the northern Arabian Gulf.
Swiftships Shipbuilders was contracted by the US Naval Sea Systems Command to build a total of 12 vessels for the Iraqi Navy.
Designed to operate up to 200m from shore and accommodate four officers and eight crew members, the patrol boats are armed with a 30mm gun weapon system and can cruise at a speed of 30k.
The vessels are integrated with Icom M710 SSB, Furuno FR2115 navigation radars, Furuno FAP-330 autopilot, Furuon GP-37 DGPS, and Simrad/Taiyo TD-L1550A automatic direction finder, as well as Icom M127 VHF radios.
Equipped with three Hamilton HM651 Series waterjet propulsion units, the boat’s operational features include main engine, generator and electronic packages, as well as conventional propulsion, arrangement and colour schemes.
Image: Swiftships-built 35m-long patrol boat. Photo: courtesy of Swiftships Shipbuilders LLC.
