Austal Acquires 6 BAE Pacific 24 Rigid Inflatable Boats for Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard Ships

BAE Systems has sold six customised Pacific 24 Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) to Australia’s Austal to equip two Cape-class Patrol Boats they are building for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard.

The P24’s seating arrangements - six passengers and two crew - will be specially configured for coast guard operations, including the ability to remove seats in order to boost carrying capacity and carry different loads including stretcher patients or different numbers of passengers.

In addition to the standard technical features of the MKIV P24 boat, custom modifications supplied to Austal included the installation of a ground plate that will enable Austal to supply and fit its own radio communications system.

The P24 can be deployed for a variety of tasks from counter-piracy and counter-narcotics missions, to force protection, rescue and logistics operations. It is used by a number of military customers, including the Royal Navy, but its versatility, fuel-efficiency and high-tech construction also lends itself to use by civil customers too. The MKIV version of the P24 incorporates the latest technologies in hull construction, including improved shock mitigation and propulsion, and provides extra safety to craft and crew by complying with rigorous Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) testing procedures, including drops, slams and self-righting trials, making them the vessel of choice for coast guard work.