Ukraine to purchase six Mark VI patrol boats from US SAFE Boats International company.

According to a contract published by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on September 30, 2021, SAFE Boats International, Bremerton, Washington, is awarded an $84,254,484 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-21-C-2201 for the detail design, construction, outfitting, reactivation, and training for six Mark VI (MK VI) patrol boats (PBs) for Ukraine, with an option for two more.
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A Mark VI patrol boat participates in the bilateral Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2020 (MCMEX 20) with the mine countermeasures ship USS Gladiator (MCM 11) in the Arabian Gulf, March 28. 2020. (Picture source U.S. Navy)

This effort will provide MK VI PBs to Ukraine towards fulfilling Building Partner Capacity (BPC) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF). Work will be performed in Tacoma, Washington (63.2%); Bremerton, Washington (18.7%); and Freeland, Washington (18.1%), and is expected to complete March 2025.

In June 2020, the U.S. State Department has announced a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Ukraine of up to sixteen (16) Mark VI Patrol Boats and related equipment for an estimated cost of $600 million.

The Government of Ukraine has requested to buy up to sixteen (16) Mark VI Patrol Boats as well as thirty-two (32) MSI Seahawk A2 gun systems, twenty (20) Electro-Optics-Infrared Radar (FLIR) (16 installed and 4 spares), sixteen (16) Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) 5km loudspeaker systems, sixteen (16) Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems, forty (40) MK44 cannons (32 installed and 8 spares) and communication equipment. 

The goal of this proposed sale is to improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing a modern, fast, short-range vessel. Ukraine will utilize the vessels to better defend its territorial waters and protect other maritime interests. Ukraine will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.

The Mark VI is a class of patrol boat in service with the United States Navy, designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters. The patrol boat is built by the American company SAFE Boats International.

The Mark VI patrol boat has a length of is 25.8 m, a beam of 6.2 m, a draft of 1.2 m, and a displacement of 65,000 kg. It has a crew of 10 sailors and can carry 8 additional personnel. The ship is powered by two MTU 16V2000M94 diesel engines connected to water jets that propel it faster than 35 knots (65 km/h), with a maximum range of 600 nautical miles (1,100 km).

The armament of the Mark VI patrol boat includes two remote-controlled Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm chain guns and six crewed M2 .50 caliber machine guns. Depending on mission needs, gun mounts can hold M240 machine guns, M134 miniguns, and Mk 19 grenade launchers. The Mark VI is equipped with the MK50 Gun Weapon System (GWS), a shipboard version of the vehicle-mounted M153 CROWS remote turret that enables crewmen to use its camera and gun from the operator's station below deck.