Washington builder secures $36.4m agreement for up to 28 patrol boats for US Southern Command partners

Bremerton, Washington-based boatbuilder Safe Boats International has secured a five-year agreement, through a blanket purchase arrangement, for the supply of new patrol boats to partner nations through the US Southern Command’s foreign military sales programmes.

The agreement, valued at up to US$36.4 million, provides for as many as 28 full cabin outboard patrol boats, plus support and associated equipment, including training, field service and spare parts. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027.

The first vessels are bound for the Dominican Republic, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, and Suriname. Their roles will include counter-narcotics operations, maritime law enforcement, and coastal patrol.

The package provides training for operators and support vehicles. It also places a field service technician, dedicated to the package, in the Dominican Republic.

Each boat will have an aluminium hull, an LOA of 12 metres, a beam of 3.1 metres and a maximum installed power of 1,350 hp (1,000 kW), delivering a top speed of 60 knots.