Construction will soon begin on a new patrol boat that will support the Colombian Navy's counter-drug and counter-terrorism operations in the country's rivers.
Local shipbuilder Cotecmar has been selected for the construction of the navy's first new Light River Patrol Boat (Patrullera Fluvial Ligera; PAF-L), which is scheduled for delivery in July 2022.
Upon completion, the boat will have a length of 30 metres, a beam of seven metres, and a full-load draught of one metre. Accommodations will be available for 43 crewmembers and other personnel.
Armament will include two 12.7-millimetre machine guns and two 7.62-millimetre machine guns.
At a cruising speed of 9.6 knots, the PAF-L boat will be capable of sailing up to 843 nautical miles in between refuelings.