TSAMTO, October 4. The US Navy Shipbuilding and Armament Command has signed an additional contract with SAFE Boats International for the development of a working project, construction, equipment, commissioning and training of crews of six Mark VI (MK VI) class patrol boats for the Ukrainian Navy.
According to the US Department of Defense, the cost of the contract paid for at the expense of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs of the partner countries amounted to $84.254 million. The agreement contains an option for the supply of two additional boats.
The work will be carried out at enterprises in Tacoma (Washington, 63.2%), Bremerton (Washington, 18.7%) and Freeland (Washington, 18.1%.). As planned, deliveries under the basic contract will be completed in March 2025. If the option is implemented, two more boats will be built in Tacoma (Washington, 78.8%) and Bremerton (Washington, 21.2%) by March 2026.
To pay for this contract, $43.706 million was used at the expense of the Security Assistance Fund of Ukraine of the BPC program for 2020 and $40.547 million of FMF funds for 2021.
As reported by TSAMTO, in October 2019, the US State Department approved the potential supply to Ukraine under the Foreign Military Sales program of up to 16 Mark VI patrol boats, 32 mounts for MSI Seahawk A2 weapon systems, 16 long-range acoustic LRAD (Long-range Acoustic Device) emitters, 40 units of the 30-mm AU MK44, as well as other related equipment and services worth up to $ 600 million.
On December 31, 2020, the US Department of Defense signed a contract with SAFE Boats International worth $ 19.969 million for the purchase of materials with long production times, planning and preparation for the start of construction of the first two Mark VI patrol boats for the Ukrainian Navy. The contract should be completed by December 2022.
Mark VI boats with a length of 25.8 m are equipped with two MTU 16V2000 M94 diesel engines driving Hamilton HM651 water jet propellers. The maximum speed is more than 35 knots, the cruising range is at least 600 nautical miles. The boat is equipped with 18 shock-absorbing seats for the crew and the escort group (five in the wheelhouse and 13 in the reconfigurable fighting compartment).
