The Bahrain Coast Guard is procuring six 18 m fast patrol boats - with an option for six additional units - from Turkish builder Ares Shipyard and UK-based design consultancy BMT Nigel Gee.
Announcing details of the project on 9 September, a senior BMT executive told IHS Jane's that the first of the composite-built Ares 58 FPB craft was now being outfitted in preparation for a launch date in mid-October.
"The first boat will be delivered to Bahrain by the end of 2013, with all the boats being delivered by the end of February 2014," said Mark Willbourn, BMT Nigel Gee's marketing director.
"The shipyard is confident that the option for a further six boats will be taken up by the Bahrain Coast Guard following trials of the first boats."
Key platform dimensions include a beam of 4.8 m and draught of 0.9 m. Two MTU 8V 2000 M84 diesel engines driving five-bladed fixed pitch propellers permit service speeds of up to 32 kt and a maximum speed in excess of 35 kt.
A light weapon station is located forward, fitted with a 7.62 mm machine gun supplied by the customer together with ballistic protection for the gunner. While the initial batch of craft will carry a FLIR Systems electro-optical night vision system and Raymarine navigation radar, the six follow-on boats are likely to receive a more comprehensive sensor suite.
The hull is manufactured using a class-approved composite glass fibre construction with significant carbon fibre reinforcement. "This has produced a high strength, lightweight, and very robust hull for the required performance", Willbourn told IHS Jane's .
Air-conditioned accommodation is provided for a crew of five. In a press release, BMT said that its naval architects had worked closely with Ares to develop a design that met the coast guard's "explicit desire to maximise living space below decks, as well as create an operationally effective vessel".
Kerim Kalafatoglu, the shipyard's executive director, stated that the new craft "far exceeds the customer's expectations" in terms of performance and appearance.
Ares has collaborated with BMT Nigel Gee on a number of recent projects. John Bonafoux, the UK company's managing director, said: "Given the growth in the market for such specialist types of vessels, we hope to develop this relationship further."