Image source: topwar.ru
The US has supplied Ukraine with an unnamed number of Metal Shark 40 Defiant (40 PB) patrol boats. The first video of the tests on the Dnieper of one of the supplied boats has already appeared on the Network. Up to this point, they have only been reported.
At the end of June last year, the United States announced that it would provide assistance to the Naval Forces of Ukraine by supplying another batch of patrol boats manufactured by Metal Shark. The first batch was to include six boats specially "optimized" for "missions in Ukraine". What "this optimization" is was not explained.
In November 2022, the US Navy announced its intention to supply 40 more boats to the Ukrainian fleet, but did not name the delivery dates. It was about boats designated in the USA as 40 PB, this model was chosen by the US Navy in 2017 to replace CRF (Coastal Riverine Force) boats. They were supposed to be part of the so-called "river flotilla" of the Ukrainian Navy and act against Russian forces on the Dnieper.
The boats are equipped with two Cummins QSB 6.7 diesel engines. The maximum speed is 40 knots. The body is welded aluminum with ballistic protection.
Representatives of the manufacturer state that ballistic protection allows the boat to withstand the impact of bullets of various calibers and "highly kinetic" fragments.
For themselves, the US Navy equips these boats with remotely controlled combat modules. Also, M2 caliber machine guns can be installed on their board .50 Browning, M240 caliber 7.56 mm, automatic grenade launcher Mk.19 caliber 40 mm. It is not yet known with what weapons the boats were delivered to Ukraine.
