Cotecmar's riverine combat boat is shown at the shipyard. (Erich Saumeth)
Colombia, through its shipyard Cotecmar, has signed an agreement to sell eight shallow draught riverine combat boats (BCFBCs), Cotecmar announced on 29 September.
This agreement, for which costs were not revealed, includes training to operate and maintain the boats.
BCFBCs are constructed with aluminium hulls with NIJ III level ballistic protection, are 8.6 m long, 2.42 m wide, 1 m tall, and have a 0.34 m draught, according to Cotecmar. The units can travel at a top speed of 24 kt, propelled by two 90 HP Mercury Seapro engines with a range of up to 300 km.
According to the Colombian shipyard, these vessels can support a crew of eight, host a Furuno 1623 radar, a Ritchie Supersport SS-1002 compass, and can carry up to 400 kg cargo. They have two different armament configurations: one with two Browning M-2HB QCB 12.7×99 mm machine guns (bow and stern) and seven crew members, and another a Browning M-2HB QCB 12.7×99 mm machine gun in the bow and two FN Herstal M249 5.56×45 mm cannons on port and starboard and eight crew members.
For more information please seeFeature: South America's naval modernisation challenge .
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