Security Vessel News Roundup | July 4 – Belgian and Polish minehunters, Canada's newest destroyers and more

A coast guard cutter and a firefighting boat have been delivered in the United States while orders have been placed for an Italian Navy submarine, 10 Swedish assault craft, and a patrol/rescue catamaran for a California police agency. New minehunters for Belgium and Netherlands have been launched as construction is underway on new vessels for naval and law enforcement operators in Canada.

Third vessel in joint Belgian-Dutch minehunting program floated outOost

French shipbuilder Kership has launched the third vessel to be built under the joint Belgian-Dutch rMCM mine countermeasures (MCM) program. The future Tournai will be operated by the Belgian Navy alongside lead ship Oostende, which was launched in March 2023. The future HNLMS Vlissingen, the second vessel, will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy upon completion.

Oostende and Tournai are scheduled for delivery to the Belgian Navy in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Deliveries of the other ships will then be staggered until mid-2030, at a rate of two a year.

UK designer unveils compact landing craft slated for Royal Canadian Mounted Police

UK-based BYD Naval Architects recently unveiled the first images of a new twin-hulled landing craft being developed for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The vessel will be equipped for dive rescue operations and will be fitted with a sonar.

Space will also be available for a medical bay and a workstation for sonar technicians. The vessel will also have a speed in excess of 35 knots.

California's Woodbridge Fire District acquires new response boat

The Woodbridge Fire District of San Joaquin County, California, has taken delivery of a new response boat built by Lind Marine's Moose Boats division in Vallejo. The custom vessel will be operated primarily in the San Joaquin Delta.

Polish Navy's fourth Kormoran II-class minehunter hits the water

Poland's Remontowa Shipbuilding has launched the fourth Project 258 or Kormoran II-class mine countermeasures vessel (MCMV) ordered by the Polish Navy. The future ORP Jaskółka ("Swallow") will be operated primarily in Poland's exclusive economic zone, though it may also be deployed in support of naval task forces in the Baltic and North Seas.

Builder to supply new combat boats for Swedish Royal Navy

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has placed an order for ten CB90-class combat boats to be built by local defence company Saab. The contract period begins in 2024 and deliveries will be made continuously over the coming years to the Swedish Royal Navy.

Construction begins on Royal Canadian Navy's newest destroyers

Irving Shipbuilding of Nova Scotia has begun construction of a new class of destroyers for the Royal Canadian Navy. The warships will be known as the River-class and the first three vessels will be named Fraser, Saint-Laurent, and Mackenzie, respectively, after three of Canada's key waterways.

Italian builder secures €500 million order for fourth U212NFS submarine

The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (Organisation conjointe de cooperation en matière d’armement; OCCAR) has awarded Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri a contract for the construction of the Italian Navy's fourth U212NFS diesel-electric submarine. The contract has a total value of approximately €500 million (US$540 million) and also covers integrated logistics and in-service support.

Los Angeles Port Police orders new patrol catamaran

The Los Angeles Port Police of California has placed an order for a new 65-foot (20-metre) aluminium catamaran patrol boat with a secondary dive support mission. Design work on the vessel will be undertaken by Teknicraft Design of New Zealand.

US Coast Guard takes delivery of 57th Sentinel-class cutter

The US Coast Guard has taken delivery of a new Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) built by Bollinger Shipyards of Louisiana. The future USCGC Florence Finch honours Florence Ebersole Smith Finch, a Filipino-American who aided the Philippine resistance movement in World War II and later became an enlisted sailor in the US Coast Guard Women’s Reserve.