Ukrainian “Fastiv” and “Sumy” patrol boats set to the sea for the first time

“Fastiv” and “Sumy” patrol boats which arrived from the USA to strengthen the Ukrainian Navy passed power trials, reports Militarnyi.

Ukrainian Island class patrol boats left Odessa for the sea this morning for power trials, informs Dumskaia.

The “Sumy” (P192) was the first to leave the Port’s Practical Harbor at 8:10 a.m., followed by “Fastiv” (P193) that joined it a few minutes later.

In the area of Cape Velykyi Fontan, both boats of the Ukrainian Navy conducted power trials, as well as practiced maneuvering and other tasks.

According to journalists, the boats accelerated to a speed of 30 knots. It is also reported that “Sumy” boat was cruising at 26 knots for certain time.

The trials ended in three hours, at about 11:10 “Fastiv” and “Sumy” entered the Ukrainian Navy “Pivden” base.

On November 25, in Odesa, two Ukrainian Island-class patrol boats, delivered from the United States, were dismounted from the Ocean Grand vessel and launched. The day before, the installers detached both vessels from the transport lodges located on the upper deck of the cargo vessel.

The boats

The Island-class boats are part of the US security aid package of more than $ 2.5 billion that the United States has provided to Ukraine since 2014. The ships are designed to strengthen the Ukrainian Navy. “Fastiv” and “Sumy” were loaded on Ocean Grand to be shipped for Ukraine and left Baltimore, Maryland on November 8.

This is the second batch of patrol boats that the United States will hand over to Ukraine as part of security and defense aid. The first two, “Sloviansk” and “Starobilsk”, are already serving with the national navy.

Another Island-class boat is waiting to be sent to Ukraine. The fifth transferred patrol boat was named after the Hero of Ukraine warrant-officer Viacheslav Kubrak.