Ecuador Orders Three New Coast Guard Vessels

Sea Power, May 2004

England's FBM Babcock Marine, in partnership with Astilleros De Murueta of Spain, announced March 4 that the team had been awarded a construction contract for three 45-meter patrol vessels for the Coast Guard Command of the Armada de Ecuador.

Astilleros De Murueta, using FBM Babcock Marine's Vigilante patrol vessel design, will build the three vessels in Spain, with the first unit being delivered to Ecuador by mid-2005. The second and third units likely will be delivered by the end of 2006. The patrol boats will be used for coastal patrols as well as offshore roles as far as 600 nautical miles out to the Galapagos Islands.

The Vigilante is a variant of the 33-meter Protector class currently in service with the United Kingdom and Chile. The Vigilante-class features a steel hull with an aluminum deck house and a trawlertype bow affording excellent sea-keeping in addition to achieving a top speed of 25 knots. The Vigilante is capable of a 12-knot, single-engine cruise speed with 3,000-nautical-mile endurance.