INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #7: The new boats of the Hellenic Coast Guard 2020-2024

Written by D-Mitch

The first CNV P355GR PCB under construction

This is the seventh post about infographics of various coast guard vessels and coast guard fleets from around the world.  The following infographic depicts the boats the Hellenic Coast Guard (HCG) will commission by 2024. On March 18, 2020, the Greek Minister for Shipping and Island Policy announced that the HCG will purchase 54 vessels by 2023. It is expected though a delay in the delivery of the vessels due to COVID-19 pandemic. That is the reason why I postponed the deliveries by 2024. Note that the following graph includes only the new vessels and not the old vessels of which many of them have been modernized. Information about some of the largest HCG vessels can been found in the following links: Stan Patrol 5509, Sa'ar 4 class and Vosper Europatrol 250 Mk1. Currently the Hellenic Coast Guard fleet in its totality consists of approximately 240 vessels of all types (see more here).

The new boats for the Hellenic Coast Guard. High resolution infographic here.

The new eyes of the Hellenic Navy and Hellenic Coast Guard: Miltech Hellas TDR-10A and TDR-HR-300

TDR-10A EO-sensor on a Hydra class frigate

This is the last update on the news regarding the equipping of Hellenic Navy warships and Hellenic Coast Guard offshore patrol vessels with new electro-optical (EO) sensors. In the article The new eyes of the Hellenic Navy Fleet: Miltech Hellas TDR-10 and IRB-75, I reported that a sensor designed and produced by the Greek company Miltech Hellas, the TDR-10 model, has equipped three Hellenic Navy gunboats and one frigate while 15 more systems of the advanced model TDR-10A, a completely new system, would equip front line surface combatants of the Greek Fleet that lack such a sensor. The TDR-10A was described in detail in the previous article The new eyes of the Hellenic Navy: Miltech Hellas TDR-10 ADVANCED. 

The new eyes of the Hellenic Navy: Miltech Hellas TDR-10 ADVANCED

Miltech Hellas TDR-10 ADVANCED, the new Greek advanced electro-optical sensor!
All photos were taken today during my visit to the company.

This is an update on the latest news regarding the equipping of Hellenic Navy warships with new electro-optical sensors. In the article The new eyes of the Hellenic Navy Fleet: Miltech Hellas TDR-10 and IRB-75, I reported that a sensor designed and produced by Miltech Hellas, the TDR-10 model, has equipped three Hellenic Navy gunboats and one frigate while 15 (!) more systems of the advanced model TDR-10A, a completely new system, will equip other warships of the Fleet (offset commitment by Raytheon). The TDR-10 electro-optical (EO) sensor has proved an excellent EO sensor after being intensively tested by the Hellenic Navy. The dual-axis gyro stabilized platform mounted system (pan-tilt unit HI-PTU100-DSG), designed by Hellenic Instruments, is equipped with a high performance 3rd generation cooled sensor with a high resolution detector, a laser rangefinder (up to 10km), motorized thermal lens, GPS and a high resolution day camera full HD. The whole system weighs less than 15kg while approximately 9kg is the weight of the pan-tilt unit. A terrific system all Made in Greece!  

INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #6: The large patrol vessels of the Turkish Coast Guard

Written by D-Mitch

The Turkish Coast Guard 1,700-ton Guven. Photo by Yoruk Isik

This is the sixth post about infographics of various coast guard vessels and coast guard fleets from around the world. Following on my previous post about the offshore patrol vessels of the Hellenic Coast Guard and due to the very recent incident between the two countries where their largest ships were involved (Umut from Turkish side and Gavdos from the Greek side), I created an infographic where I depict the large patrol vessels (>100tons and >34 meters) of the Turkish Coast Guard (Türk Sahil Güvenliği), as of February 2018. It should be mentioned here that the Turkish Coast Guard has much more large patrol boats (55 boats larger than 30 meters including nine 31-meter Kaan 29 class boats) than the Hellenic Coast Guard (Λιμενικό Σώμα), has built several new and highly sophisticated patrol boat classes locally, and the majority of those ships have or received modern electro-optical sensors and remote-controlled stabilized machine gun platforms (RWS). Moreover, 33 boats are equipped with 40mm gun turrets except the usual armament of a pair of manually remoted 12.7mm heavy machine guns. Notice though that Turkey currently has only four (very) large offshore patrol vessels while all the rest are smaller than 41 meters. There are plans to replace older classes such as the Type 80 class.

INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #5: Large patrol vessels of the Hellenic Coast Guard

Written by D-Mitch

Stan Patrol 5509 of the HCG

P355, the winner of competition!

This is the fifth post, after a long time, about infographics of various coast guard vessels from around the world. The following infographic is part of an article I wrote together with my friend Davelis, in Greek, for e-Amyna, one of the best online defence magazines in Greece, about the current situation of the Hellenic Coast Guard (Λιμενικό Σώμα) large patrol vessel fleet and the new boats that the Coast Guard might purchase in the near future. The title of the article is "Present and future of the large patrol vessels of the Hellenic Coast Guard". That article briefly summarizes the issues, the needs for new acquisitions, modernization programmes regarding the current fleet as well as and the candidates for the Coast Guard's new competition for 3+1 30-45-meter armed patrol boats. Enjoy the article Παρόν και μέλλον των μεγάλων περιπολικών του Λιμενικού Σώματος!

UPDATE: the Hellenic Coast Guard will acquire four P355, a design by Cantiere Navale Vitoria (CNV) SPA. The boats will be 37-meters in length, 160 tons displacement at full load and will achieve a maximum speed of 40 knots. The equipment will consist of two LRCWS (Light Remotely Controlled Weapon Stations), a pair off JRC navigation radars and two  electro-optical sensors

INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #4: Azerbaijan and Colombia

Written by D-Mitch

This is the fourth post, after a long time, of a new category of infographics of various coast guard vessels from around the world. These infographics aim to highlight the most important equipment of the vessels; I do not analyze the systems in depth as I do for the warships instead I provide some basic information mainly from Wikipedia (if else I provide the source) about the ships, their history and their capabilities.

1.  Sa'ar 62 class offshore patrol vessels of the Azerbaijani Coast Guard

President Ilham Aliyev inspecting the
new shipyards and the boats

Typhoon MLS-NLOS missile launcher

Azerbaijan is one of the very few countries in the world that has in her inventory missile-armed coast guard vessels. Jane's, reported in summer of 2014, that Azerbaijan had bought six Sa'ar 62 offshore patrol vessels (based on the Sa'ar 4.5 class) and six lighter Shaldag Mk V patrol boats. The purchase came to light flowing the release of images from the commissioning of a new naval shipyard in Azerbaijan, which showed the first vessels during handling and construction in new shipyards in Türkan (video here), which is also according to Jane's believed to have been built by Israel Shipyards. The construction hall has capacity for at least three vessels to be constructed simultaneously. It should be mentioned that  Azerbaijan became second country in the world, after Russia with her remaining Krivak III (Nerey) class cutters armed with SA-N-4 surface-to-air missiles, that introduced in the coast guard fleet, vessels armed with missile weapon systems. However, in the Azerbaijani service, the distinction between  a coast guard vessel and a naval vessel is blur, as none of the naval vessels is equipped with missiles in contrast to.. the coast guard vessels! A nice video about the Azerbaijan Coast Guard can be watched here. Recently, Turkmenistan and United Arab Emirates commissioned coast guard vessels with missile weapon systems. These vessels, will be analyzed in a future post.

INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #3: Russia, China, Peru and Greece

Written by D-Mitch

This is the third post of infographics of various coast guard vessels from around the world. These infographics aim to highlight the most important equipment of the vessels; I do not analyze the systems in depth as I do for the warships instead I provide some basic information mainly from wikipedia (if else I provide the source) about the ships, their history and their capabilities.

1. Krivak III (pr. 11351, NATO codename Nerey) class frigates of the Russian Coast Guard

Varovsky Krivak III class frigate. Photo: Владимир Кононов

The Project 1135 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel) class were a series of frigates built for the Soviet Navy. These ships are commonly known by their NATO reporting name of Krivak and are divided into Krivak I, Krivak II (both navy), and Krivak III (coast guard) classes. These ships were designed as a successor to the Riga class. The design started in the late 1950s and matured as an anti-submarine ship in the 1960s. A total of 40 ships were built, 32 ships for the Soviet Navy (Russian Navy) and nine (9) modified ships of Nerey (Krivak III) subclass for the KGB Maritime Border Guard. Of the nine Nerey class vessels, eight (8) served in the FSB Coast Guard and two (2) units were transferred to Ukraine prior to completion (the Hetman Bayda Vishnevetskiy never completed) of which one, the Hetman Sagaydachny, is till today the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy.

INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #2: United States, Venezuela and Albania

Written by D-Mitch

This is the second post of a new category of infographics of various coast guard vessels from around the world. These infographics aim to highlight the most important equipment of the vessels; I do not analyze the systems in depth as I do for the warships instead I provide some basic information mainly from wikipedia (if else I provide the source) about the ships, their history and their capabilities.

 1.  Legend class cutters (National Security Cutters - NSCs) of the United States Coast Guard

USCGC Bertholf 

USCGC Bertholf with open hangars

NSCs are the flagship of the Coast Guard's cutter fleet, designed to replace the 115-meter Hamilton-class High-Endurance Cutters, which entered service during the 1960s. Ingalls has delivered five till today with one more being on sea trials. The Legend-class cutters are the second longest of all U.S. Coast Guard cutters, behind the research icebreaker Healy, and will replace the twelve Hamilton class cutters in service. These cutters are envisioned by the Coast Guard as being able to undertake the entire range of the High Endurance Cutter roles with additional upgrades to make it more of an asset to the Department of Defense during declared national emergency contingencies (the NSC is built to about 90% military standards). These vessels can be used for intercepting suspect vessels, or for rescuing swimmers, fishery protection, maritime homeland security missions, counter terrorism, or coastal patrol missions. To facilitate intercept missions, the Legend class can carry and launch both the 7-meter Short Range Prosecutor and the 11-meter Long Range Interceptor RHIBs.

INFOGRAPHICS OF COAST GUARD VESSELS #1: Greece, Turkey and Romania

Written by D-Mitch

With this new post I begin a new category of infographics of various coast guard vessels from around the world. These infographics aim to highlight the most important equipment of the vessels; I do not analyze the systems in depth as I do for the warships instead I provide some basic information mainly from Wikipedia (if else I provide the source) about the ships, their history and their capabilities.

1. Dost class offshore patrol vessels of the Turkish Coast Guard

Guven OPV. Photo: Combat Master

The CMS of Guven. Photo: Combat Master

The contract for the construction of four Dost class offshore patrol vessels at RMK Marine Shipyard was signed on 16 January 2007. These large ships were commissioned the period 2013-2014. The design of the these ships are based on the Sirio class offshore patrol vessels produced by Italian Fincantieri. With the commissioning of these ships, the Turkish Coast Guard is able to perform its duties mainly search and rescue in sea state 5 and higher. These ships are the first Turkish Coast Guard vessels that can support helicopter operations. (source: turkishnavy.net)