Patrol boat
|
LÉ Róisín patrol boat of the Irish Naval Service |
|
HMCS Brandon, a Kingston-class patrol vessel of the Canadian Navy |
A
patrol boat is a small
naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence duties. They may be operated by a nation's
navy,
coast guard, or even police force and may be intended for marine (
blue water) and/or estuarine or river (
brown water) environments. They are commonly found engaged in various border protection roles, including anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, fisheries patrols, and
immigration law enforcement. They are also often called upon to participate in rescue operations.
Patrol boats are typically around 30m (100 ft) in length and usually carry a single gun as main armament, along with a variety of lighter secondary armament such as machine guns. They are usually diesel-powered, although some modern designs use gas turbines, and speeds are generally in the 25-30 knot range.
Similar vessels for exclusively military duties include
torpedo boats and
missile boats. The
U.S. Navy operated the
Pegasus class of armed hydrofoils for years, in a patrol boat role.
Examples of Patrol Boats:
*
Eagle class patrol craft of
World War I and
World War II*
Armidale-class, (
Royal Australian Navy)
*
Fearless-class, (
Singapore)
*
Island-class, (
USCG)
*
Kingston-class, (
Canadian Navy)
*
Chamsuri-class (
Republic of Korea Navy)
*
Mirage-class (Type 14310), (
Russian Navy)
*
River-class, (
Royal Navy)
*
Róisín-class, (
Irish Naval Service)
*
Zara-class, (Italian
Guardia di Finanza)
*
List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy
