Colombian Navy launches first Light Riverine Patrol Support Vessel.

According to information published by Infodefensa on July 29, 2022, the Colombian shipyard Cotecmar has carried out the christening and launching ceremony of the new light river support patrol vessel (PAF-L) Cristian Rangel Hernández of the Colombian Navy (ARC).
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First Light Riverine Patrol Support Vessel Cristian Rangel Hernandez (Picture source: Colombian Armed Forces)

The construction of the vessel was carried out during the first semester of this year, in one of the shipyard's construction hangars, located in its facilities in the port of Cartagena de Indias.

The new PAF has a detailed series of improvements in its design (according to technical specifications ET-3240-B), among which stand out the relocation of the crew cabins, as well as a considerable increase in its storage capacity for supplies and cargo, also having a greater accommodation capacity for temporary passengers, additionally reducing the total weight, thanks to changes in several systems by technological innovation, thus achieving that the vessel can access to lower drafts.

Likewise, the engines have been changed for larger ones, but preserving the efficiency and power supplied, keeping its Scorpion fire control system that integrates two machine guns of the Browning M2HB type of 12.7x99 mm and other two of the US Ordnance M-60E4 type of 7.62x51 millimeters.

About the new Light Riverine Patrol Support vessel

The new PAF-L is an armored vessel with a length of 30 meters and a molded beam of seven meters, with a 3.1-meter depth at the first deck and a draft of one meter at maximum load.

It has 12 days of autonomy with a range of up to 1,560 kilometers at speeds of up to 17.7 kilometers per hour and the capacity for a crew of 43 officers, non-commissioned officers, sailors, and marines.