The RIBs, built and customised in BAE Systems’ Boats factory in Portsmouth, UK are being supplied to Australia’s Austal to equip two Cape-class Patrol Boats they are building for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard.
“The P24 is a small and agile boat that can be deployed for a variety of tasks from counter-piracy and counter-narcotics missions, to force protection, rescue and logistics operations. It is used by a number of military customers, including the Royal Navy, but its versatility, fuel-efficiency and high-tech construction also lends itself to use by civil customers too. The MKIV version of the P24 incorporates the latest technologies in hull construction, including improved shock mitigation and propulsion, and provides extra safety to craft and crew by complying with rigorous Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) testing procedures, including drops, slams and self-righting trials, making them the vessel of choice for coast guard work.”
Austal Head of Supply Chain and General Manager New Builds (Australia), Ben Wardle, said:
“The MKIV Pacific 24 from BAE Systems was the first choice of sea boat for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. Our customer needs assurance that their sea boats can perform in life and death scenarios in harsh maritime environments, including in tropical storm and hurricane conditions. The pedigree of the P24, with its range of international customers including the military, as well as its SOLAS accreditation made it the ideal vessel for the job.”
Dr Brooke Hoskins, Director of Products and Training Services for BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business, said:
“It’s great to see our P24s on their way to deliver an enhanced capability for the government of Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard in collaboration with Austal. We have more than 60 years’ experience of producing specialist high-speed craft for military and civilian customers that include Special Forces, navies, armies, air forces and governments in more than 40 countries around the world. I am confident that the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard will be as delighted with them as all our other customers are.”
In the UK the P24 is used extensively in the Royal Navy surface fleet, being embarked on a number of warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels. These include the UK’s new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, all its Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels.
Can we get an armed version for offshore fishery protection role or to protect uk ports sites? Useful secondary role for search and rescue.
How about Gib ?
BAE Australia make the Guardian-class small OPV for the Pacific Island nations, they’re been a rip roaring commercial and diplomatic success. Cheap, fast, armed up to a 30mm autocannon and perfect for fisheries protection.
And free for lots of nations.
Yes, all funded by the tax payers of Austrailia. This is a deliberate Oz foreign policy to keep the Pacific Island Nations on side – and protect their fishing zones. It also assists in keeping predatory nations a safe distance from Oz economic and military areas.
Levi, Sorry but you are wrong, BAE Australia is not building any PBs or OPVs here in Oz. Austal is currently building 21 x 39.5m Guardian class PBs in Western Australia for 13 of our Pacific neighbours. The Australian Government is gifting all of the boats under a A$2b program that includes construction and thru life support for the next 25-30 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian-class_patrol_boat They are being delivered unarmed, but can be armed with a gun of up to 30mm. The two x 57.8m Cape class PBs being built for Trinidad and Tobago are also being built by Austal who have… Read more »
Forgive me for stating the obvious, but isn’t this what are foreign aid budget should be used for? We have an obligation to the Commonwealth Countries, so shouldn’t we also be gifting less well off countries these type of assets.?
Nuts, “are”, duh should have been “our”.
We should be gifting them to ourselves first. Our fishery protection, border force and SAR fleet (coastguard) is pitifully small. We need these boats really urgently. Once uk has 20 to 30 suitably armed boats then yes use foreign aid budget to give some to less developed nations.
An armed version of what is effectively a ‘rubber’ boat? The sort of thing the marines have loads of already and one presumes exist on many of the proper offshore patrol vessels… Or certainly should. Are you mistaking them for the big blue thing in that pic rather than the little black things it carries? Not sure that they would have much significant a role in offshore fishing protection in their own right, especially in the British climate, while Gib has new, bigger and better options.
Slow news day huh?
Made from Left over PPE equipment?
Can we not even sell a ship to anyone?
Why?