Greece has commissioned four Island-class coastal patrol boats as part of an approximately 42-million-euro ($44.1-million) acquisition from the US Coast Guard’s excess supply.
The vessels were renamed after notable figures in the Hellenic Navy, namely Mantouvalos Ioannis (P197), HS Galanis Georgios (P198), HS Liaskos Antonios (P288), and HS Gialopsos Ektoras (P289) at an induction and naming ceremony held at Salamis Shipyards.
After they were decommissioned from US service, Athens chose them to replace its Norwegian-built Nasty-class and French-made Antoniou-class patrol boats built from the 1960s to 1970s, supporting its naval modernization efforts.
The transfer was conducted through the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s Excess Defense Articles program, with the four patrol boats arriving in Greece in 2023.
Salamis Shipyards carried out their refurbishment, which included the installation of 12.7-millimeter machine guns, a Miltech Hellas electro-optical sensor, and new communications equipment.
Once fully operational, they will conduct patrols in the eastern Aegean, particularly around the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, and Kos.
Island-Class Patrol Boats
The former US Coast Guard vessels measure 33.5 meters (110 feet) long with a 16-crew capacity.
Each Island-class cutter sails at a maximum speed of 29 knots (53 kilometers/33 miles per hour) and has a standard range of 1,600 nautical miles (2,963 kilometers/1,841 miles) at 10 knots (18 kilometers/11 miles per hour).
