The U.S. Government plans to provide additional assistance in the amount of $125 million military assistance to Ukraine, including cutting-edge Mark VI armed patrol boats, CNN reported on Friday.
According to CNN, the new assistance package includes counter-artillery radars and armed Mark VI patrol boats, the latter of which is seen as particularly important given Ukraine’s tensions with Russia in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
“As a matter of policy, the Department of Defense does not comment on or confirm potential or pending security assistance packages while under Congressional review,” Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Carla Gleason told CNN.
The MK VI designed to fulfill the requirement for an armored boat with greater range, more lethal firepower and sea keeping capabilities that exceeded the Navy’s small boat capabilities. They can conduct missions in the open ocean for protecting defence forces.
The versatile patrol vessels can support search-and-seizure operations, maritime intercept operations, theatre security cooperation operations and other clandestine security force activities. They can function as escorts for high-value assets and also take part in mine hunting and fast attack combats.
The 85-foot-long vessels averaged a speed of 25 knots, just under 30 mph.
The primary mission of Mark VI Patrol Boats is to provide capability to persistently patrol littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays for the purpose of force protection of friendly and coalition forces and critical infrastructure. These missions include: security force assistance (SFA); high value unit (HVU) shipping escort; visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations; and theater security cooperation (TSC).