Metal Shark to Build Patrol Boats for Cameroon and Georgia Under U.S. Foreign Military Sale

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark received two Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contracts from the U.S. Coast Guard to produce patrol boats for the maritime forces of Cameroon and the Republic of Georgia. Each contract includes one 38 Defiant-class patrol boat, a transport trailer, a spare parts package, and operator training, with the vessels to be built at the company's facility in Jeanerette, Louisiana.

The design is a welded aluminum monohull with an enclosed pilothouse, measuring 11.6 meters in length overall, up to 3.48 meters in beam, and 0.76 meter in draft. The platform can be configured for patrol and interdiction duties, port security, and search and rescue operations, with propulsion options including twin diesel engines coupled to waterjets or triple outboard engines; the specific configuration chosen for the Cameroon and Georgia units was not specified.

Henry Irizarry, Metal Shark's Senior Vice President of International Business Development, noted that these awards mark the company's entry into two new markets and aim to modernize the maritime fleets of Georgia and Cameroon. Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard, for his part, stated that these contracts reflect growing international demand for proven, capable patrol platforms at a time when maritime security is gaining strategic importance worldwide.

Through the U.S. FMS program, the vessels and associated support packages aim to strengthen both countries' maritime law enforcement capacity, protect their territorial waters and critical infrastructure, and improve their response to regional security challenges. Metal Shark also noted that its vessels are already operated by more than 70 military forces of U.S. partner nations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

These contracts add to a recent U.S. government order for the construction of 13 Metal Shark patrol boats for Vietnam, with an option for additional units, which will also be built at the Jeanerette facility.