PRESS RELEASES 2008

U.S. Donates Interceptor Patrol Boats to Jamaica Defense Force Coast Guard

Brenda LaGrange Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, yesterday (January 10), handed over two 43-foot interceptor patrol boats to the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) Coast Guard as part of US Southern Command initiative, Enduring Friendship. Jamaica will receive two additional boats in July with the total value of the four boats and their trailers and trucks at US$2.3 million. The country will also receive US$2.1 million in communications equipment later in the year to help the Coast Guard communicate while conducting patrols. The total value of the American donation will be US$4.4 million.

Enduring Friendship is a USSOUTHCOM maritime security assistance initiative aimed at assisting partner nations with strengthening their maritime domain awareness and operational capabilities to better anticipate and respond to drug trafficking and other threats.

The 43-foot diesel-powered interceptor boats are top-of-the-line vessels fitted with the latest state-of-the-art communications and radar equipment and can reach a speed of 60 mph. The boats were brought to Jamaica from Florida on the British naval vessel, the LARGS BAY, as part of the ongoing excellent relations among Jamaican, UK, and U.S. forces in support of maritime security in the region.

Members of the JDF Coast Guard are also receiving training to operate these boats. Last year, ten members of the Jamaica Defense Force completed a seven-week training course in Fort Myers, Florida, which familiarized them with unique features of the interceptor boats and refined their maritime patrolling skills. Another ten members will receive training in April-May 2008.

Besides Jamaica, the Bahamas, Panama, and the Dominican Republic are receiving similar assistance. The boats and the trained JDF personnel who operate them will be a valuable tool in the fight against illegal smuggling in the Caribbean.