Patrol boat

A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. However, large size patrol vessels are also operated by multiple navies and coastguards. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they generally range in size. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, police, or customs, and may be intended for marine ("blue water"), estuarine ("green water"), or river ("brown water") environments.

Per their name, patrol boats are primarily used to patrol a country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but they may also be used in other roles, such as anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, fishery patrols, immigration law enforcement, or search and rescue. Depending on the size, organization, and capabilities of a nation's armed forces, the importance of patrol boats may range from minor support vessels that are part of a coast guard, to flagships that make up a majority of a navy's fleet. Their small size and relatively low cost make them one of the most common naval vessels in the world.

Patrol Boats are of varying types, including: offshore patrol vessels (OPV), patrol boat fast (PBF), patrol boat with surface-to-surface missile (PBG), patrol boat inshore (PBI), patrol boat with SAM (PBM), patrol boat riverine (PBR), patrol boat with torpedo (PBT).

Classification

The classification of a patrol boat is often subjective, but they are generally small naval vessels that are used to patrol national waters or a certain jurisdiction. They may be as large as a corvette or even a frigate, though the term may also be used for vessels as small as a yacht or rigid inflatable boat. They can include gunboat, fast attack craft, torpedo boats, and missile boats. They may be broadly classified as inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) or offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). OPVs and medium size cutters are usually the smallest ship in a navy's fleet that are large and seaworthy enough to patrol off-shore in the open ocean, while IPVs are typically too small to do so and are instead kept in lakes or rivers, or close to coasts; IPVs specifically used in rivers can also be called "riverine patrol vessels". Large patrol vessels, offshore patrol vessels and Large cutters are the largest type of patrol ships and are typically more than 100 m (330 ft) in length. Some OPVs may possess significant armament and may approach corvettes in terms of armed capability.

Seagoing patrol boats are typically around 30 m (100 ft) in length and usually carry a single medium caliber artillery gun as main armament, and a variety of lighter secondary armament such as machine guns, while others include the sophisticated close-in weapon system. Depending on their role, vessels in this class may also have more sophisticated sensors and fire control systems that would enable them to carry torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and surface-to-air missiles.

History

During both World Wars, in order to rapidly build up numbers, all sides created auxiliary patrol boats by arming motorboats and seagoing fishing trawlers with machine guns and obsolete naval weapons. Some modern patrol vessels are still based on fishing and leisure boats.

The United States Navy operated the Pegasus class of armed hydrofoils for years in a patrol boat role. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Navy ordered 193 aluminum hulled Patrol Craft, Fast (PCFs), also known as Swiftboats, for brown water naval operations. The Patrol Boat, River (PBR, sometimes called "Riverine" and "Pibber") was a fiberglass hulled vessel also designed and used for inland river operations during the Vietnam War, and became an icon of water operations during the war due to its use in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.

Most modern designs are powered by gas turbine arrangements such as CODAG, and speeds are generally in the 25–30 knots (46–56 km/h; 29–35 mph) range. The largest OPVs might also have a flight deck and helicopter embarked. In times of crisis or war, these vessels are expected to support the larger vessels in a navy, though some smaller navies are mostly composed of just patrol boats.

Specific nations

Albania

Albanian Naval Force

  • Iliria-class patrol vessel

Algeria

  • Kebir-class (fr)
  • Alusafe 2000 (es)
  • Ocea FPB98 MKI

Argentina

  • Mantilla-class patrol vessel
  • Z-28-class patrol vessel
  • Shaldag-class patrol boat

Argentine Navy

  • Gowind-class vessel
  • Murature-class vessel
  • Intrépida-class boat
  • Zurubí-class patrol boat
  • Baradero class patrol boat
  • Punta Mogotes class patrol boat

Australia

  • Attack-class patrol boat (1967–1985)
  • Fremantle-class patrol boat (1979–2007)
  • Armidale-class patrol boat (2005–present)
  • Cape-class patrol boat (2017–present)
  • Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel (2025–present)

Australian Border Force Marine Unit

  • Bay-class patrol boat (1999–present)
  • ACV Triton (2006–2015)
  • Cape-class patrol boat (2013–present) – replaced all but two of the Bay-class which underwent a life extension. Two Evolved Cape-class patrol boats ordered to replace the remaining two Bay-class patrol boats.

Others

  • Pacific-class patrol boat (1987–2023) – Australian-built, gifted by the Australian Government to 12 Pacific Island countries (RMIS Lomor appears to be the last boat in service as of November 2022)
  • Guardian-class patrol boat (2018–present) – Australian-built replacements for the Pacific class, gifted to the same 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste

Bahamas

  • Bahamas-class patrol vessel
  • Legend-class patrol vessel
  • Floral-class patrol vessel

Bahrain

Royal Bahrain Naval Force

35m Fast Patrol Vessels- USA -built by Swiftships, Commissioned in 2021

Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Navy classified its medium size patrol ships as large patrol craft (LPC) which are armed with either anti-ship missiles or torpedoes. Those ships typically have heavier armaments but less range than OPVs.

Bangladesh Navy

Large patrol craft
  • Durjoy class
  • BNS Madhumati
Offshore patrol vessel
  • Island class
  • ARES 150
Inshore patrol vessel
  • Padma class
  • Meghna class
ASW patrol boat
  • Kraljevica class
  • Haizhui class
  • Hainan class
Patrol gunboat
  • Chamsuri class

Bangladesh Coast Guard

Offshore patrol vessel
  • Leader class
Inshore patrol vessel
  • Padma class
  • Sobuj Bangla class
  • Ruposhi Bangla class
  • Apurbo Bangla class
Fast patrol vessel
  • Kutubdia class
  • Porte Grande class
Coastal patrol vessel
  • Tawfique class (former PLAN Shanghai II class)
Riverine patrol craft
  • Pabna class

Border Guard Bangladesh

Patrol vessel
  • Shah Jalal class

Barbados

Barbados Coast Guard

  • HMBS Leonard C Banfield
  • HMBS Rudyard Lewis
  • HMBS Trident

Belgium

  • Castor (in Dutch) (2014–present)
  • Pollux (in Dutch) (2015–present)

Brazil

  • Grajaú-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Bracuí-class patrol vessel – ex-River-class minesweeper
  • Imperial Marinheiro-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Piratini-class patrol vessel
  • J-class patrol vessel
  • Roraima-class river patrol vessel
  • Pedro Teixeira-class river patrol vessel
  • Macaé-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Amazonas-class corvette

Brunei

  • Darussalam-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Ijtihad-class patrol vessel
  • KH 27-class patrol boat
  • FDB 512-class patrol boat
  • Bendaharu-class patrol vessel
  • Perwira-class patrol vessel
  • Saleha-class patrol vessel
  • Pahlawan-class patrol vessel

Bulgaria

  • Obzor

Canada

  • Kingston-class coastal defence vessel (1996–present)
  • Orca-class patrol vessel (2006–present)
  • Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel (2016–present) – Icebreakers based on the Norwegian NoCGV Svalbard
  • Hero-class patrol vessel

Cape Verde

Cape Verdean Coast Guard

  • Kondor-class
  • Guardiao (P511)

Chile

Chilean Navy

  • Pillán-class patrol craft (1979/1980–2001/2002)
  • Maule-class patrol craft (1982–2014?)
  • Dabur-class patrol boat (1990–present)
  • Taitao-class large patrol craft (1993–present)
  • Rodman 890-class patrol boat (1996–2017/2020)
  • Protector-class patrol craft (1999–present)
  • Defender-class boat (2007–present)
  • OPV-80-class offshore patrol vessel (2007–present)
  • Archangel-class boat (2008–present)

China (PRC)

People's Liberation Army Navy

  • Harbour security boat (PBI) – four newly built 80-ton class harbour security / patrol boats, and more are planned in order to take over the port security / patrol duties currently performed by the obsolete Shantou, Beihai, Huangpu, and Yulin-class gunboats, which are increasingly being converted to inshore surveying boats and range support boats
  • Shanghai III (Type 062I)-class gunboat – 2
  • Shanghai II-class gunboat
  • Shanghai I (Type 062)-class gunboat – 150+ active and at least 100 in reserve
  • Huludao (Type 206)-class gunboat – 8+
  • Shantou-class gunboat – less than 25 (in reserve, subordinated to naval militia)
  • Beihai-class gunboat – less than 30 (in reserve, subordinated to naval militia)
  • Huangpu-class gunboat – less than 15 (in reserve, subordinated to naval militia)
  • Yulin-class gunboat – less than 40 (being transferred to logistic duties)

China Coast Guard

  • Haixun-class cutter (Type 718)

Colombia

Colombian Navy

  • Diligente-class patrol boat
  • Nodriza-class patrol boat
  • PAF-I-class patrol boat
  • PAF-II-class patrol boat
  • PAF-III-class patrol boat
  • PAF-IV-class patrol boat
  • Patrullera Fluvial Ligera-class patrol boat
  • Riohacha-class gunboat
  • Fassmer-80 class – built in Colombia by COTECMAR

Croatia

  • Šolta (OB-02)
  • Omiš (OB-31)

Denmark

  • Knud Rasmussen-class OPV – 3 vessels
  • Diana-class IPV – 6 vessels
  • Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel
  • Thetis-class OPV – 4 ships (classed as ocean patrol frigates)
  • Agdlek-class IPV – 3 vessels
  • Barsø-class IPV – 9 vessels (in Danish)
  • Hvidbjørnen-class OPV (link in Danish) – 4 ships (classed as ocean patrol frigates)

Ecuador

Ecuadorian Navy

  • Damen Stan Patrol 5009

Egypt

Egyptian Navy

  • 35m Fast Patrol Vessels- USA -built by Swiftships

Eritrea

Eritrean Navy

  • Eritrea-class 60m patrol vessel

Others

  • Protector-class patrol boat

Finland

Finnish Navy

  • Kiisla class – formerly Finnish Border Guard, now Finnish Navy
  • VMV class

Finnish Border Guard

  • VL Turva – an offshore patrol vessel built at STX Finland Rauma shipyard in 2014

France

French Navy

  • D'Estienne d'Orves-class
  • Félix Eboué-class
  • Confiance-class
  • Flamant class
  • P400-class
  • Patrouilleurs Hauturiers (planned)

Maritime Gendarmerie

  • Trident-class patrol boat
  • Géranium-class patrol boat
  • Jonquille-class patrol boat
  • Vedette-class patrol boat
  • Pétulante-class patrol craft
  • Pavois-class patrol craft

Germany

  • Potsdam class (2019–present)
  • Bad Bramstedt class (2002–present)
  • Helgoland class (2009–present)
  • PA class (1943–1945)
  • R boats (1929–1945)
  • Type 139 patrol trawler (1956 to mid-1970s)

Greece

Hellenic Navy

  • Osprey 55-class gunboats and derivatives HSY-55 and Osprey HSY-56A
  • Asheville-class gunboats
  • Nasty-class coastal patrol vessels – formerly torpedo boats
  • Esterel-class coastal patrol vessels

Hellenic Coast Guard

  • Sa'ar 4 class – acting as offshore patrol vessels (OPV)
  • Stan Patrol 5509 OPV
  • Vosper Europatrol 250 Mk1 OPV
  • Abeking & Rasmussen patrol vessels – class Dilos
  • POB-24G patrol vessels – class Faiakas
  • CB90-HCG
  • Lambro 57 and derivatives – all being boats for coastal patrols

Honduras

Honduran Navy

  • Damen Stan Patrol 4207

Hong Kong (SARPRC)

  • Sea Panther-class large command boat

Iceland

  • ICGV Týr
  • ICGV Óðinn
  • ICGV Þór
  • ICGV Ægir
  • ICGV Freyja

India

Indian Navy

  • Bangaram-class patrol vessel
  • Car Nicobar-class patrol vessel
  • Saryu-class patrol vessel
  • Sukanya-class patrol vessel
  • Trinkat-class patrol vessel
  • Aadesh-class patrol vessel
  • Rajshree-class patrol vessel
  • Rani Abbakka-class patrol vessel
  • Samar-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Samarth-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Sankalp-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Sarojini Naidu-class patrol vessel
  • Tara Bai-class patrol vessel
  • Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel
  • Vishwast-class offshore patrol vessel

Indonesia

  • FPB 28, Indonesian Police and Indonesian Customs, 28 meter long patrol boat made by local shipyard PT PAL.
  • FPB 38, Indonesian Customs, 38 meter long aluminium patrol boat made by local shipyard PT PAL.
  • FPB 57, Indonesian Navy, 57 meter long patrol boat designed by Lürssen and made by PT PAL, ASM and heli deck equipped for some version.
  • PC-40, Indonesian Navy, 40 meter long FRP/Aluminum patrol boat, locally made by in house Navy's workshop.
  • PC-60 trimaran, Indonesian Navy, 63-meter-long composite material, is armed with 120 km range of anti-ship missile, made by PT Lundin industry
  • OPV 80 - 80 meter long, designed by Terafulk and made by PT Citra Shipyard
  • OPV 110 (Tanjung Datu-class) - 110 meter long, made by PT Palindo Marine Shipyard

Iran

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy:

  • Azarakhsh
  • MK-13
  • Zoljenah
  • Bavar
  • Zolfaghar
  • Rezvan
  • Tir
  • Pashe
  • Ghaem
  • Gahjae
  • Kajami
  • Tarlan
  • Taregh
  • Ashura
  • Murce
  • Seraj
  • Ashura-33
  • MIL 40
  • Cougar
  • An unknown class of patrol boat
  • Zulfighar

Islamic Republic of Iran Navy:

  • Kaivan class
  • Parvin class

Ireland

List of Irish Naval Service vessels;

  • Emer-class Offshore Patrol Vessels
    • LÉ Deirdre (P20) (1972–2001)
    • LÉ Emer (P21) (1978–2013)
    • LÉ Aoife (P22) (1979–2015)
    • LÉ Aisling (P23) (1980–2016)
  • Eithne-class Helicopter Patrol Vessel
    • LÉ Eithne (P31) (1984–2022)
  • Peacock-class Coastal Patrol Vessels
    • LÉ Orla (P41) (1984–2022)
    • LÉ Ciara (P42) (1985–2022)
  • Róisín-class Offshore Patrol Vessels
    • LÉ Róisín (P51) (1999–present)
    • LÉ Niamh (P52) (2001–present)
  • Samuel Beckett-class Offshore Patrol Vessels
    • LÉ Samuel Beckett (P61) (2014–present)
    • LÉ James Joyce (P62) (2015–present)
    • LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63) (2016–present)
    • LÉ George Bernard Shaw (P64) (2018–present)

Israel

  • Dabur-class patrol boats
  • Dvora class fast patrol boat
  • Super Dvora Mk II-class patrol boats
  • Super Dvora Mk III-class patrol boat
  • Shaldag-class patrol boats
    • Shaldag Mk II
  • Nachshol-class patrol boats (Stingray Interceptor-2000)

Italy

  • Zara class, (Italian Guardia di Finanza)
  • Saettia class, (Italian Coast Guard)
  • Diciotti – CP 902 class, (Italian Coast Guard)
  • Dattilo-class offshore patrol vessel, (Italian Coast Guard)
  • Cassiopea-class patrol vessel, (Italian Marina Militare)
  • Cassiopea II class, (Italian Marina Militare)
  • Esploratore class, (Italian Marina Militare)
  • Comandanti-class patrol vessel, (Italian Marina Militare)

Jamaica

JDF Coast Guard

  • County class

Japan

  • Shikishima (Japan Coast Guard), the 2nd largest patrol boat
  • Mizuho class (Japan Coast Guard), large patrol vessel with helicopter deck and hangar
  • Tsugaru class (Japan Coast Guard), large patrol vessel with helicopter deck and hangar
  • Hida class (Japan Coast Guard), high-speed large patrol vessel with helicopter deck
  • Kunigami class (Kunisaki class)
  • Iwami class
  • Hateruma class
  • Aso class (Japan Coast Guard), high-speed large patrol vessel
  • Amami class (Japan Coast Guard), medium-sized patrol vessel
  • Hayabusa class (JMSDF, Japanese Navy), corvette type patrol vessel
  • Sōya, (Japan Coast Guard), icebreaker
  • Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) program (JMSDF, Japanese Navy)

Latvia

  • Skrunda class, world's first SWATH patrol boat (Latvian Naval Forces)

Malaysia

  • Kedah class offshore patrol vessel, (Royal Malaysian Navy)
  • Keris-class littoral mission ship, (Royal Malaysian Navy)
  • Gagah Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Ramunia Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Nusa Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Sipadan Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Rhu Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Pengawal Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Peninjau Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Pelindung Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Semilang Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Penggalang Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Penyelamat Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Pengaman Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Kilat Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Malawali Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Langkawi Class Patrol Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
  • Tun Fatimah Class Ship, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency

Malta

  • Protector class offshore patrol vessel (Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta) – 2002–present
  • Diciotti class offshore patrol vessel (Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta) – 2005–present
  • P21 class inshore patrol vessel (Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta) – 2010–present
  • Emer class offshore patrol vessel (Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta) – 2015–present

Mexico

Mexican Navy

  • Coastal patrol boat
    • Azteca-class
    • Tenochtitlan-class
  • Offshore patrol vessel
    • Durango-class
    • Holzinger-class
    • Oaxaca-class
    • Uribe-class

Montenegro

  • Kotor class frigate

Morocco

  • OPV-70 class, offshore patrol vessel (Royal Moroccan Navy)
  • OPV-64 class, offshore patrol vessel (Royal Moroccan Navy)

Namibia

  • Grajaú-class offshore patrol vessel

Netherlands

Royal Netherlands Navy

  • Holland class offshore patrol vessels

Netherlands Coastguard

  • Visarend
  • Zeearend
  • Barend Biesheuvel

Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard

  • Damen Stan Patrol 4100

New Zealand

Royal New Zealand Navy

  • Protector-class OPV (2008)
  • Lake-class IPV (2008)
  • Moa-class patrol boat (1983–2008)

Nicaragua

Nicaraguan Navy

  • County class

Norway

Royal Norwegian Navy

  • Rapp-class
  • Tjeld-class
  • Storm-class
  • Snøgg-class
  • Hauk-class
  • Skjold-class

Norwegian Coast Guard

  • Barentshav class OPV
  • Harstad class OPV
  • Nordkapp class OPV
  • Nornen class
  • Svalbard class icebreaker
  • Jan Mayen-class - Planned replacement for the Nordkapp-class

Peru

  • Río Zarumilla class, Peruvian Coast Guard
  • Rio Cañete class, Peruvian Coast Guard

Philippines

Gregorio del Pilar-class surveillance-frigate BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS-15), Philippine Navy
Ilocos Norte-class patrol boat, Philippine Coast Guard
Parola-class patrol vessel, Philippine Coast Guard
San Juan-class patrol vessel, Philippine Coast Guard
Gabriela Silang-class offshore patrol vessel, Philippine Coast Guard

Philippine Navy

Philippine Coast Guard

Poland

Polish Navy

Portugal

Portuguese Navy

Maritime Police

National Republican Guard

Qatar

Qatari Emiri Navy

Qatari Ministry of Interior

Romania

Russia

Senegal

Singapore

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea (ROK)

Spain

Sri Lanka

Suriname

Sweden

Additionally, the Royal Swedish Navy also operates smaller types of patrol boats (Swedish: bevakningsbåt = "guard boat"):

The Swedish Coast Guard operate an additional 22 patrol vessels for maritime surveillance.

Taiwan (Republic of China)

Republic of China Navy

Coast Guard Administration

Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard

Turkey

Turkish Naval Forces

Coast Guard Command

United Kingdom

United States

United States Navy

United States Coast Guard

Venezuela

Vietnam

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