Construction of OCEA boats for Ukraine ongoing in France

In France, the construction of patrol boats for the Maritime Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is underway, Militarnyi reports.

New photos featuring FPB98MKI boats, which are being built to protect the maritime borders of Ukraine, have appeared on social networks.

One of the boats was photographed next to the pier, the rest are on land on the territory of the shipbuilding enterprise.

Newly built boats of the French company OSEA are currently undergoing sea trials.

The already installed equipment of the boat is also being tested to make sure it is ready for operation.

Construction of FPB98MKI boats for the Maritime Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is carried out in accordance with the agreement between the French company OCEA and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Ukraine have ordered 20 such boats, 5 of which were previously planned to be built in Ukraine.

The implementation of the project became possible due to the signing of the framework intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and France in 2019. It provides for a loan by the French government and European banks for the construction of French boats in the amount of €136.5 million.

The first FPB98MKI for the Maritime Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine was launched in December 2021.

On February 21 last year, the press service of the Maritime Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced the launch of the second boat under the project. In May 2022, it became known that a third OCEA boat was built for the Maritime Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine in France.

FPB98MKI patrol boats can develop speeds of up to 30 knots (about 60 km/h).