The Ministry of Defence and Damen Workboats signed a contract on March 12 for the construction of three medium-sized patrol vessels for the Caribbean Coast Guard. The so-called cutters replace the current versions in the Caribbean that have been in use for more than 25 years. The new patrol vessels are expected to be operational in early 2029.
The Ministry of Defence acquires the vessels for the Coast Guard, which is responsible for maritime supervision, investigation, and assistance at sea in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Think of police tasks, border control, patrols, and search-and-rescue operations.
New ships bigger
The current cutters – Jaguar, Panther, and Poema – entered service in the late nineties. The Damen Stan Patrol 4100 vessels have been delivering reliable work for years. But due to their age, maintenance and costs increase. That is why they are being replaced by a new generation of patrol vessels.
The new Stan Patrol 5009 cutters are larger than their predecessors. This is important because of the sometimes-turbulent conditions at sea in the Caribbean. The ocean waves make smaller ships restless and less suitable for long-term patrols.
Modern sensors
The new cutters will also have modern sensors, such as advanced radar and infrared cameras. This allows crews to provide effective supervision even at night or in poor visibility. This strengthens the capacity of the Caribbean Coast Guard to conduct its tasks.
Larger and faster interceptor boats
In addition to the cutters, Damen also supplies four fast interceptorboats. Every cutter gets such a boat on board. They are intended for intercepting fast smuggling vessels, the so-called go-fasts. These small boats are often used in drug transport in the Caribbean. In addition, an additional interceptor will be available for training and maintenance rotation. The new interceptors are larger than the current models. As a result, they also maintain their speed better in higher waves.
With the arrival of the new cutters and interceptors, the Coast Guard will have modern equipment that is better suited to today’s tasks. The ships thus make an important contribution to the safety and law enforcement in the Caribbean region of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The contract was concluded following a tender procedure.