Earlier this month, the U.S. pledged greater than $1.4 billion in safety help to Ukraine. Included in that assist bundle have been, amongst different issues, two Harpoon coastal protection techniques. A few of that help is geared toward serving to the Ukrainian navy higher defend their coast and waterways. On Thursday, the U.S. promised $450 million in safety help by way of presidential drawdown authority — the thirteenth such outlay this yr. Included in that bundle have been 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats. Included within the bundle introduced Thursday are two 35-foot, small-unit riverine craft; six 40-foot maritime fight craft; and ten 34-foot, Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boats.
To contribute to coastal protection, the official mentioned, the USA, together with companion and allied nations, have supplied the Harpoon system. Earlier this month, the U.S. dedicated to the donation of two Harpoon launch techniques, which the Ukrainians have requested to have mounted on vans. Different nations have additionally agreed to offer the Harpoon missiles themselves for use in these launchers. These are giant to guard the riverways and to allow Ukraine to keep up its management of the riverways. They may also be utilized in close-in coastal areas. This may assist allow the Ukrainians to defend themselves. Odesa and different positions alongside the Black Beach.
Commercial
Coastal and riverine patrol boats, which may very well be Mark VI. The Mark VI is a category of patrol boat in service with the USA Navy, designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters. The Mark VI is 84.8 ft (25.8 m) lengthy,[12] considerably longer than earlier lessons of Navy patrol boats. It has a crew of 10 sailors and may carry 8 extra personnel. The inside is spacious, with berthing for the crew and shock-absorbing seats for different occupants; the seats and sound-deadening berthing areas and galley enable the crew to function in comparatively excessive sea states whereas attenuating crew fatigue and threat of damage.
Customary armament consists of two remote-controlled Mk 38 Mod 2 25 mm chain weapons and 6 crewed M2 .50 caliber machine weapons. Relying on mission wants, gun mounts can maintain M240 machine weapons, M134 miniguns, and Mk 19 grenade launchers. The Mark VI is provided with the MK50 Gun Weapon System (GWS), a shipboard model of the vehicle-mounted M153 CROWS distant turret that permits crewmen to make use of its digital camera and gun from the operator’s station beneath deck. The aluminum-hulled Mark VI is powered by two MTU 16V2000M94 diesel engines linked to water jets that propel it quicker than 35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h), with a most vary of 600 nm (690 mi; 1,100 km).
