The Swiftships yard at Morgan City, Louisiana is continuing to turn out a number of 35m patrol boats for the Iraqi Navy, with the lead unit of the series, P-301, delivered at the end of last year and the second and third boats, P-302 and P-303, delivered at the start of this year.
Since then, they have been joined by the fourth, fifth and sixth craft, P-304, P-306 and P-305, which have taken over patrol duties in the Arabian Gulf formerly performed by units of the US Navy. Each of the 30-knot patrol boats is armed with a 30mm gun and has accommodation for a crew of 25. Swiftships is building seven more of the vessels, and Iraq eventually expects to order a total of 15. Swiftships has been a shipbuilder in the USA since its predecessor, Sewart Seacraft, delivered Swift Patrol Boats during the Vietnam War.
