The Naval Forces of Ukraine reported that on May 2, 2024, a ceremony was held for the commissioning of two small patrol boats transferred by Estonia as military assistance. These are the boats P 01 Roland and P 02 Risto, which were previously part of the Estonian fleet, built according to the Patrol 18 WP project by the Estonian shipbuilding company Baltic Workboats AS (BWB) in Nasva on the island of Saaremaa (Ezel), which have now received new Ukrainian names P 182 "Irpin" and P 183 "Reni". The Estonian Ministry of Defense officially announced the transfer of these boats to Ukraine in partnership with Denmark on April 26, and it is known that both boats had already been delivered to Ukraine by that time.
One of the two small patrol boats received by the Ukrainian Navy P 182 "Irpin" of the Patrol 18 WP project, transferred by Estonia, 02.05.2024 (c) to the Ukrainian Navy
These boats were built by Baltic Workboats for the Estonian Navy under the Patrol 18 WP project under a contract concluded with the State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus - RKIK) in April 2020 at a cost of 3.9 million euros. The boats were launched ready-made and handed over to the Estonian Navy on December 10, 2020 and, after passing tests, were commissioned into the Estonian Navy in October 2021.
These boats are similar to the 14 Patrol 18 WP boats for the Oman Police, previously built by Baltic Workboats under a 2019 contract. The 18 WP boat project was developed by the shipyard itself and is based on the use of a previously patented version of the so-called water-cutting contours of the bow "Wave-Piercing Bow". The boats for the Estonian Navy had a length of 17.25 m, a width of 5.42 m and a draft of 1.6 m. The two-shaft power plant consists of two Volvo D13 diesel engines with a capacity of 745 kW each with a ZF 665 gear transmission. The full speed is more than 30 knots, the cruising range is 260 miles at a speed of 25 knots. The boats are equipped with partial bulletproof protection. Armament includes a 12.7mm remotely operated FN Herstal Sea deFNder machine gun mount on the forecastle and two 12.7mm M2 machine guns on manual turrets.
The small patrol boats P 182 "Irpin" and P 183 "Reni" received by the Ukrainian Navy are the boats P 01 Roland and P 02 Risto transferred by Estonia from the Estonian fleet, built according to the Patrol 18 WP project by the Estonian shipbuilding company Baltic Workboats AS (BWB), 05/02/2024 (c) of the Ukrainian Navy
