Caribbean patrol boats completed

Designed

and

built by Australian shipbuilder Austal, these 30m vessels will exp

and

the TTCG’s surveillance

and

enforcement capability in the region

.

The on-schedule, on-budget delivery of the fleet was achieved less than two years from the initial order, with the final vessels arriving in Trinidad

and

Tobago via heavy lift ship on January 18

.

Propulsion consists of two Kamewa 56A3 waterjets powered by two 1,630kW MTU 16V 2000 M92 high speed diesel engines to give a maximum speed of more than 40 knots, a range of 1,000nm (at 10 knots)

and

a small tactical diameter

and

short crash stop distance

.

Director of Trinidad’s Defence Transformation

and

Integration Secretariat, CDRE Garnet Best, said the vessels would be used to create a security blanket around the waters of Trinidad

and

Tobago

.

“We are confident that the speed of the vessels will contribute to their effectiveness in the interdiction of illegal drugs,” CDRE Best said

.

“These vessels have been very well designed to perform numerous roles including customs

and

immigration border control, fire services

and

prisoner transport, protection of our marine environment as well as protection of our oil

and

gas resources

.

”

As well as being highly manoeuvrable, the patrol boats benefit from the reduced structural weight, improved fuel economy

and

enhanced corrosion resistance that typifies Austal’s aluminium platforms

.

Austal is now set to deliver a five-year comprehensive maintenance

and

support services program for the vessels as part of an additional contract

.

Included in this will be scheduled planned

and

preventative maintenance support, unscheduled maintenance, management

and

performance of annual surveys

and

maintenance periods, as well as shore based engineering support

.

The vessels are named

TTS Scarlet Ibis, TTS Hibiscus, TTS Humming Bird, TTS Chaconia, TTS Poui

and

TTS Teak

.