The U.S. Navy announced the delivery of the seventh, eighth, and ninth 35-meter patrol boats (P-307, P-308, and P-309, respectively) to the Iraqi Navy at the Umm Qasr naval facility in Iraq, March 22, after each craft successfully completed reactivation in Bahrain.
The U.S. Navy and Swiftships Shipbuilders, LLC, Morgan City, La., are supporting the Iraqi Navy in the procurement and construction of the patrol boats which are capable of reaching 30 knots, armed with a 30mm gun weapon system, and operated by a crew of 25.
“ This team has again succeeded in lending its expertise in boat construction and acquisition to deliver these important assets to the Iraqi navy, ” said Frank McCarthey, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships’ program manager for Support Ships, Boats and Craft.
The Support Ships, Boats and Craft Program Office manages the acquisition of the patrol boats as a foreign military sales (FMS) case, with three more patrol boats planned for delivery. In addition, the program office is executing a second FMS case for two 60-meter offshore support vessels which are planned to deliver in 2012.
PEO Ships currently manages the design and construction of all U.S. Navy destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, as well as a wide range of small boats and craft for U.S. agencies and allied nations. Since its creation in November 2002, PEO Ships has delivered more than 40 warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 20 shipyards and boat builders across the United States.
[mappress] World Maritime News Staff, March 23, 2012; Image: Navy