NEWTOWN, Conn. - The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry has ordered fast coastal interceptors (FCI) for its coast guard from a builder in the United States. The interceptors will be constructed by Tampa Yacht Manufacturing, headquartered in Pinellas Park, Florida, according to a release from the shipbuilder.
The deal covers 29 47-foot, 4-inch (14.42-meter) interceptors with a top speed of 55 knots and a range of more than 300 nm (550 km) at 38 knots.
The craft can carry up to six personnel and is equipped with ballistic armor, Areneson surface drives, crew-served weapon mounts and a comprehensive electronic suite, said the company release on Tuesday.
Initial deliveries are scheduled for September 2015.
Kuwait fields both a Navy and a Coast Guard. The smaller patrol boats appear to be assigned to the Coast Guard, and the Navy uses larger patrol boats. Both services had to be virtually rebuilt from the ground up after the Iraqi invasion.