TSAMTO, August 2. At the Puerto Cortes Naval Base, in the presence of the US Defense Attache Christopher Pateras, a ceremony was held for the transfer to the command of the Honduran Navy of the new FNH-8502 Rio Aguan patrol boat of the Defiant-85 class, built by Metal Shark.
As reported by Infodefensa.com the boat is planned to be used in operations to ensure maritime security, intercept violators, counteract drug trafficking, protect fisheries, and monitor the state of the environment.
The length of the boat "Defiant-85" is 26.59 m, the maximum width is 6.05 m, the speed is 25 knots. It is equipped with two Caterpillar C-32 diesel engines with a capacity of 1600 hp. The cruising range is 706 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots, the autonomy is 6 days, the crew is 10 people. The boat is equipped with a 5.7-meter inflatable dinghy with a rigid hull.
As reported by TSAMTO, the delivery of the boat to the Honduran 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 contractor for the construction of NCPV (near coastal patrol vessels) coastal patrol boats for US partner states under the program "Foreign Military Sales".
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 patrol boats to the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Honduras.
At the moment, the Defiant-85 class patrol boat has been transferred to the Dominican Republic Navy, and one Defiant-45 and two Defiant-38 boats have been delivered to the Costa Rican Coast Guard. Most of the cost of building each boat is financed by the United States, and a smaller part is financed by the recipient country.
The Honduran Navy currently also has two patrol boats "Stan Patrol 4207", six interceptor boats DI-1102 from Damen and one patrol boat of the OPV-62M class (Offshore Patrol Vessel)from Israel Shipyards Ltd.
