Alabama-based builder Silver Ships has been awarded a US$6.12 million contract by the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for the manufacture of six riverine patrol boats (RPBs).
The vessels will be supplied to an unnamed US partner nation via the US Navy's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
Each boat will have a length of 12 metres, space for six crew and 14 additional troops and cargo, weapons mounts for machine guns of up to 12.7-millimetre calibre, and two Yanmar 328kW engines connected to waterjets.
The RPBs are designed to support military operations in inland waters and rivers as well as coastal areas. These will be used primarily for counter-terrorism and law enforcement missions but can also be used for humanitarian assistance, medical evacuation, command and control, and search and rescue (SAR) among others.
