USA gifts two patrol boats to Ukraine
On Thursday, September 27, in Baltimore, Maryland, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was presented with two Island-class patrol boats for the Ukrainian Navy. "These first two Island-class boats will become another brick in strengthening the naval alliance between the Ukrainian and American peoples,” Poroshenko posted on Facebook.
Island-class patrol vessels are boats designed for and used by the US Coast Guard for patrols and search-and-rescue operations in coastal waters. They are powered by twin-shaft, 5,280-horsepower, diesel engines that can propel the boat up to a speed of 29.5 knots or 54.6 kilometers per hour. Each vessel is 33 meters wide, with a 6.4-meter draught and 2-meter displacement. They each weigh up to 165 tons.
The boats are operated by up to 18 sailors, including three officers. Their armament consists of Mk 38 Mod 0 Bushmaster 25-mm automatic artillery systems and two M2HB 12.7-mm guns.
The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers already agreed to the transfer of American boats to Ukraine several weeks ago. Talks of handing over the patrol boats to Ukraine began last year.