TSAMTO, July 27. The commander of the Southern Command of the US Armed Forces, Admiral Craig S. Faller, on July 22, during an official visit to El Salvador, handed over the patrol boat "Defiant-85" (Defiant 85) to the Metal Shark company to the Navy of this country.
As reported by Infodefensa.com, a new boat, designated PM-15 (Patrolman 15), was delivered to the naval base "La Union". Before delivery, the boat's crew was trained under the guidance of American instructors.
The cost of supplying the boat is estimated at $ 5.2 million. The US government has allocated $ 3.2 million for the implementation of the project as part of the assistance program. The remaining amount was financed by the Government of El Salvador through a loan of $ 109 million, which the country received in June 2021 from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to modernize the country's security structures.
The new PM-15 boat will complement the fleet of two similar boats, PM-13 and PM-14, which are used to support operations to counter drug trafficking and transnational organized crime at a distance of up to 200 nautical miles from the coast of El Salvador.
The length of "Defiant-85" is 87 feet (26.59 m), the maximum width is 6.05 m. It is equipped with two Caterpillar C-32 diesel engines with a capacity of 1600 hp, allowing to reach a speed of 25 knots, a cruising range of 706 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots, autonomy – 6 days, the crew – 10 people. The boat is equipped with a 5.7-meter inflatable boat with a rigid hull.
As reported by TSAMTO, the delivery of the boat to the Salvadoran Navy is part of the cooperation program initiated in 2017 by the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) with six allied countries from Central America, the Caribbean and South America. The aim of the project is to improve the equipment of the naval forces and coast guard forces of these states.
In June 2017, Metal Shark was selected by the US Navy Command as a construction contractor under the program" Foreign Military Sales " of NCPV (near coastal patrol vessels) coastal patrol boats for US partner states.
The agreement, the total cost of which may exceed $ 54 million, involves the construction of up to 13 aluminum boats of the Defiant class for the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other US partner states. The company will also supply up to 13 sets of electron-optical / infrared sensors, diagnostic equipment, provide deployment in the destination country, crew training and test support. The initial contract worth $ 16.19 million provided for the construction and supply of NCPV patrol boats to the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Honduras.
It is assumed that by the end of the year, one boat will also be delivered to Guatemala as part of the program.
