Washington supplies two Safe Boat cutters to help counter piracy

摘要

To meet the Ghana Navy's growing maritime surveillance needs (AI, 25/05/21), the US Coast Guard is giving Accra two 12-metre Defender-class speedboats designed by the US manufacturer Safe Boats. These small vessels are mainly destined for port and coastal security missions, in the face of an upsurge in crime, including piracy, in Ghanaian waters and more widely in the Gulf of Guinea. The $1m order includes spare parts and crew training. It is expected to be completed by 2023. This agreement follows several contracts that have already seen the US Coast Guard finance the delivery of Safe Boats to African navies. In the Gulf of Guinea, Benin and Togo have benefited from Washington's largesse, while in East Africa, Djibouti regularly receives US military support (AI, 23/04/21). Tunisia has also received more than 20 Safe Boats vessels since the fall of the Ben Ali regime in 2011. The Bremerton-based shipyard is headed by Richard Schwarz. Its co-founder, Scott Peterson, now owns about 10% of the company.