Philippines Coast Guard orders fast patrol boats, offshore patrol vessel from France

The Philippines Coast Guard has contracted French shipbuilder OCEA for the delivery of four 24-meter patrol boats and one 84-meter offshore patrol vessel, the French company announced on January 8.

According to the French shipbuilder, the smaller boats will be based on the company’s FPB 72 MKII design while the larger patrol vessel will be based on the OPV 270 design.

OCEA has already delivered FPB units to Nigeria in 2012, to Suriname in 2013, and again to Nigeria in 2017.

The shipbuilder has delivered 60-meters OPV units to the Indonesian and Senegalese Navy but the 84-meter version will be a first for the company.

“The transition to this new size of vessels represents a great performance for OCEA, who substantially invested in its production facilities and design capabilities in 2015,” the company said in the announcement.

The ordered ships will be built in the new facilities of OCEA shipyard in Les Sables d’Olonne. The four FPB 72 are scheduled for delivery in 2018 while the OPV 270 is to be delivered in 2019.