British navigation and security surveillance systems manufacturer Kelvin Hughes has installed its SharpEye upmast radar system on four new vessels commissioned by the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.
The Damen Stan Patrol 5009 Coastal Patrol Vessels are all now fitted with a Kelvin Hughes Advanced Surveillance System incorporating a SharpEye™ X-Band radar, located upmast in a carbon composite housing. The four vessels, TTS Speyside, Quinam, Moruga and Carli Bay, will patrol Trinidad and Tobago’s coastal waters and are also capable of operating in its Exclusive Economic Zone.
The original order for the SharpEye™ radar systems was placed by Alphatron Marine BV of The Netherlands who was assigned as the integration partner for Damen Shipyards. With deliveries and sea trials conducted between April and October of last year, the programme was concluded in November and both the radar and the patrol craft are now in service.
Rohan Dearlove , Kelvin Hughes’ Sales Director – Central Region, commented: “We’re delighted to have successfully delivered this important project to Alphatron Marine, Damen and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The selection of SharpEye™ radar technology delivers benefits to all of our customers, whether they be system integrators, shipbuilders or end users.”
The four vessels Damen delivered to the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Forces are part of a twelve-vessel purchase agreement between the company and the Caribbean country signed in May 2015. The agreement includes four patrol vessels, two 54-meter fast crew supply utility vessels, and six 11-meter interceptor vessels.