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Navy Supports Iraqi Patrol Boat Construction

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100730-08
7/30/2010

From Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast Public Affairs

MORGAN CITY, La. (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy and Swiftships Shipbuilders, LLC, are currently building 15 state-of-the-art 35-meter coastal patrol boats for the Iraqi Navy and completed training Iraqi crews July 15.

The Iraqis are preparing to man these boats as part of the transition of the Iraqi maritime security mission to the Government of Iraq next year.

The first boat completed sea trials on May 7 and live-fire testing of the gun systems was completed on May 31. The first patrol boat was been delivered to the Iraqis in Morgan City and was used for training. It will be loaded for transit to Iraq on July 30.

The additional boats are under construction with the second boat scheduled for delivery in September. The remainder will be delivered approximately every six weeks as the patrol boats are completed.

"It's exciting and a privilege to be constructing these boats for the Iraqi Navy, and all the more so when our success will contribute to the return of U.S. personnel from Iraq," said Capt. Bill Galinis, the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP) Gulf Coast at Pascagoula, Miss.

SUPSHIP provides local administration and oversight of the contract. Procurement of the boats is under a Naval Sea Systems Command/Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships Foreign Military Sales contract.

The first of five groups of 50 Iraqi personnel have completed 90 days of intensive training and the second contingent will arrive by the end of the month. Iraqi Sailors are trained to operate, maintain and deploy the newly purchased 15-man boats using a blended training program identical to that provided to U.S. Navy personnel. Included in the training are instructor-led classroom training, integrated scenario-based simulator training and underway familiarization aboard the new boat.

The training program includes interpreters to minimize any language barriers. Training is a coordinated program of the Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Naval Sea Systems Command and Swiftships Shipbuilders.