Patrol Vessel News

KERSHIP welcomed Mr. Aleksa Bečić, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, and Mr. Dragan Krapovic, Minister of Defense of Montenegro on Wednesday, December 17, at its Lanester site. This second visit marks a significant step forward since the construction launch ceremony of the first offshore patrol vessel. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense were accompanied by members of their cabinet, senior officers from the Montenegrin Army and Navy Ms. Dubravka Lalovic, Ambassador of Montenegro to France, as well as local authorities.

The New Zealand Navy will return to service in the third quarter of 2026 one of two offshore patrol vessels idle since 2021, the chief of the defence force said on Tuesday, at a cost running into millions of dollars.Tony Davies told a select committee of parliament the decision to bring HMNZS Otago out of care and custody arrangements followed the sinking of a specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, the Manawanui."Before you put it back to sea, it has to have quite a bit of work and money spent on it," Davies added.

Financially, 2024 was a positive year for Damen Shipyards Group. Revenue remained just above USD$3.47 billion (3 billion euros). Net profit rose from USD$49.8 million (43 million euros) to USD$67.1 million (58 million euros). The order book was filled with a record USD$6.83 billion (5.9 billion euros) in new orders, rising to USD$12 billion (10.4 billion euros). In 2024, Damen delivered no fewer than 146 new vessels to clients. This included the Volta 1 and the Bu Tinah. The former is Europe's first fully electric tug, which has been put into service by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.

China's coast guard held a National Day flag-raising ceremony on a ship in the waters off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, vowing to "stand guard" over the atoll, a major flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups and maritime clashes with the Philippines.Both countries claim the triangular feature in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, but it is effectively under Beijing's control.

Australian and Indonesian authorities have jointly patrolled 24,000 square nautical miles of ocean to the north of Australia during a week-long operation to combat illegal maritime activity in the region.The annual joint patrol aims to improve coordination between Australian and Indonesian authorities to deter, detect and respond to illegal maritime activities, including illegal foreign fishing. Six vessels were boarded during the operation.Operation JAWLINE ARAFURA ran from September…

The next generation offshore patrol vessel (OPV), featuring hybrid propulsion and wind sails, has started taking shape as the first steel is cut for the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) vessel, designed by the SOCARENAM-MAURIC consortium.On September 18, 2025, the steel cutting ceremony was held for the New Generation Maritime Affairs Patrol Vessel (PAM) with wind-assisted propulsion.The transition from the design to construction phase follows the tender win by the SOCARENAM-MAURIC consortium in December 2024…

The Dominican Navy has received its second 85’ x 19.5’ welded aluminum Near Coastal Patrol Vessel (NCPV), built by Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark.Christened ARCTURUS CG-114 in keeping with the Dominican tradition of naming military vessels after constellations and celestial bodies, the new patrol craft was built at Metal Shark’s Franklin, Louisiana shipyard and officially incorporated into the Dominican Navy during a ceremony at the Port of Sans Soucí on August 31st.

The construction of the Finnish Border Guard’s two multipurpose offshore patrol vessels, ordered from Meyer Turku, has proceeded to the traditional christening ceremony carried out in equipping stage. On Friday, August 22, 2025, the first vessel was christened Karhu. The christening was carried out by the vessel’s godmother, Mrs Suzanne Innes-Stubb. The ceremony took place in the shipyard Uudenmaan Työvene, where the vessel will be equipped. The ship will be delivered to its owner in winter 2026.

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has accepted the sixth and final Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV), His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Robert Hampton Gray.The AOPVs are ice-capable patrol ships designed to enhance the Canadian Armed Forces’ presence in the Arctic, and to assert and uphold Canadian sovereignty. These versatile ships can operate anywhere in the world, bolstering the RCN’s capability to support international peace and security. In addition to performing operational missions and tasks…

A British Royal Navy patrol vessel has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, a Navy spokesperson said on Thursday, saying the passage complied with international law."HMS Spey's routine navigation through the Taiwan Strait was part of a long-planned deployment and took place in full compliance with international law," the spokesperson said in a statement.While Britain's Ministry of Defence did not say when the passage took place, Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement that…

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has welcomed His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Frédérick Rolette into naval service.HMCS Frédérick Rolette is the fifth Harry DeWolf class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) to be welcomed into the RCN’s fleet.These vessels are designed to enhance the RCN’s ability to enforce sovereignty in Canadian waters and helps meet future defense challenges in Northern waters. They augment Canada’s presence in the Arctic and are capable of conducting a wide variety of operations including surveillance operations…

It’s no surprise that waterjets are great for shallow-draft, highly maneuverable craft, but vessel designers are busting out of the old stereotypes.Vessel designer Aircat Vessels has developed a surface effect ship (SES) crew transport catamaran, AIRCAT 35 Crewliner, that can sail at over 50 knots and manage offshore transfers in 2.5-meter seas. The air cushion system from ESNA dynamically adjusts to sea conditions so the vessel can reduce transit times, reduce fuel consumption…

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that opens the door for joint development projects to develop international naval ships.With the goal of achieving approval in principle, ABS will apply its goal-based and prescriptive requirements to three different types of naval ship designs from HHI, including HDA-24000: Auxiliary Logistic Support Ship, HDF-3200: Frigate, and HDP-2200: Offshore Patrol Vessel.“With extensive experience supporting government ships worldwide…

Vestdavit has bolstered its position as a supplier of boat-handling systems to navies worldwide after landing an order to deliver multiple davits and painter booms for a series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) contracted by the French Navy at domestic yards.The davit deal covers delivery and commissioning of a total of 14 PLR-5004-type davits, as well as 14 PBH-2500 painter booms, for the seven OPV newbuilds–two davits per vessel—that are being built as part of the French Ocean Patrol Vessel Program…

Denmark's Prime Minister on Thursday (April 3) advocated for enhanced Arctic defence collaboration with the United States during a visit to Nuuk, but firmly dismissed what she described as attempts by the U.S. to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory.Frederiksen was speaking at a press conference with outgoing Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede and incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen onboard the Danish ocean patrol vessel “Vaedderen” moored in Nuuk harbour.“You cannot annex another country…

Italian waterjet systems company Castoldi has announced recent successful sea trials for two patrol vessels equipped with dual installations of the latest Castoldi Turbodrive 400 HCT waterjets.One newbuidings has been built for the Italian Coastguard, the other for fisheries patrol duties in the North Sea, Germany.The new 16-meter patrol vessel for the Italian Coastguard recently exceeded its design brief in an early sea trial, said Giacomo Castoldi, owner at Castoldi. “This new generation…

U.S. Secretary of State warned Venezuela on Thursday that it would be "a very bad day" for the South American country if it were to attack its neighbor Guyana or U.S.-based energy giant ExxonMobil, in comments that threatened unspecified action in such a case.Caracas condemned Rubio's remarks, made during a visit to Guyana's capital.Guyana and Venezuela are locked in a long-running dispute about which country has rights over the 160,000-square-km (62,000-square-mile) Esequibo area…

An exhibition of ship models depicting vessels built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company (Troon and Ayr) in the 19th and 20th centuries opens at the Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine Harborside today (Friday, February 21).The collection of six detailed ‘builder’s models’, which are on long-term loan from South Ayrshire Council, were crafted by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company’s model-making department between 1909 and 1975.The vessels depicted include a 10-gun brig built to seize illegal slaver ships in the 19th century…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has signed a contract with the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (BAKAMLA) for the construction of an offshore patrol vessel (OPV).The vessel will be built at MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with completion and delivery scheduled for March 2028.The project is based on a grant agreement concluded in March 2024 between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and…

On January 10, the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Margaret Brooke departed Halifax, Canada, on an historic mission - the first circumnavigation of South America and first visit to Antarctica by a Royal Canadian Navy vessel.As part of Operation PROJECTION – South America, the Harry DeWolf-class Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) will visit ports across South America to strengthen international relationships in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada. While in Antarctica, the ship will support Canadian scientific research…

The fifth Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo, hosted by the Indonesian Navy, began on February 16.The biennial exercise will continue until February 22 in Bali, Indonesia, and will involve over 30 ships from more than 15 countries. Russia, China, India and the US are among the participating nations.The non-combatant exercise is themed “Maritime Partnership for Peace and Stability” and will emphasize multilateral maritime cooperation and disaster response protocols. The exercises will include an officer exchange forum…

Swan Defense and Heavy Industries Limited (SDHI), a private player in commercial & defence shipbuilding, ship repairs, and heavy fabrication in India, will recommence trading of its shares at BSE/NSE under the script code – 533107/SWANDEF. The shares will be available for trading with effect from January 20, 2025.Swan Energy Limited gained management control of Swan Defense and Heavy Industries Limited in January 2024. As part of its operational revival, the company recently completed the refit of the Indian Coast Guard’s fast patrol vessel…

Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is participating in major new construction projects for the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.Recently, steel-cutting for vessels classified by the Indian Register of Shipping include the second ‘Fleet Support Ship’ at L&T Shipbuilding, the first ‘Next Generation Missile Vessel’ at Cochin Shipyard, the second ‘Next Generation Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel’ and first Coast Guard ‘Fast Patrol Vessels’ at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, and the…