KINGSTON, Jamaica - Two new Damen Stan Patrol 4207 vessels arrived at the Headquarters of the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard on January 16. The two vessels were delivered under a contract signed between Jamaica and Damen Stan shipyard in November 2016.
Representing a renewal of their fleet, the new vessels replace the JDF Coast Guard Unit’s three Damen-built County Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, the HMJS Cornwall, HMJS Middlesex and HMJS Surrey. The retirement of those vessels was announced about a week before the announcement of the contract signing.
The newly acquired 4207s are capable of a broad range of functions including search and rescue, fisheries and environmental protection and counter narcotics and smuggling operations.
Jamaica's announcement it would retire the older vessels earlier this month came as a bit of a surprise, since the vessels are only about 10 years old. It's not clear why the Defence Force decided to retire the vessels. However, it appears that Jamaica was not unhappy with their performance, since it returned to Damen for replacements. The Jamaican Defense Force indicates that the switch was part of a trade-in agreement, whereby Jamaica sent its old vessels to Damen Stan in return for new ones. Damen Stan in turn will retrofit the older vessels and sell them second-hand to another nation.
