Ukrainian Navy Island-class patrol boats to be upgunned with US made weapons in 2022 –Neizhpapa

In 2022, US-made weapons will be installed on the Ukrainian Island-class patrol boats, said Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, Commander of the Ukrainian Navy in his interview to ArmyInform.

He has already advocated the standardization of maritime artillery systems, which would have a positive impact on the maintenance and ammunition acquisition.

Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa said that Ukraine currently has no production of naval artillery systems and ammunition for them.

“Therefore, we need to decide what kind of artillery it will be, it must be a joint system, so that we do not have different calibers, different ships with different armament, so that it is all standardized,” said the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy in 2020.

In an interview with ArmyInform, he stated the same position regarding patrol boats:

“Let me remind you that all boats will be equipped with US weapons. We are talking about 30 mm guns and missiles of various types.”

He did not specify which artillery systems and missiles were discussed.

“Currently we have a final decision on their upgrade, some ammunition has already been received, so next year we will start installing these systems on all 5 boats,” said Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa.

On December 6, 2021, the National Navy was replenished with two Island-class patrol boats – “Fastiv” and “Sumy”. This is the second delivery of boats that the United States has handed over to Ukraine as part of security and defense aid.

Two more – “Sloviansk” and “Starobilsk” have been serving in the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2019, on November 13 of that year, in the Practical Harbor of Odessa held a ceremony of raising of the Ukrainian Navy flags.

One more 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.