Damen, Mexican Navy building POLA vessel
Damen Shipyards Group and the Mexican Navy are working together to build a Long Range Ocean Patrol (POLA) vessel, the company announced on 26 June.
With a length of 107m and a beam of 14m, the POLA vessel will be the Mexican version of the Damen’s SIGMA 10514. It will be able to sail at speeds of over 25 knots with a capacity of more than 20 days at sea.
Damen will build two of the six modular sections of the vessel at the Damen Schelde Naval shipyard in the Netherlands. The remaining four modules will be built in Mexico. The construction of these modules, along with the integration, will be carried out at a yard that cooperates on this with Damen.
During the construction of the modules in Europe, a Mexican team will be in the Netherlands to supervise the process and to receive knowledge transfer.
The first of the Dutch modules has already arrived in Mexico, where it is being integrated with two of those already built in Salina Cruz. The hull of the vessel has already been completed in drydock. It will now be prepared to receive the other three superstructure modules.
The POLA vessel will be capable of carrying out various missions including long range SAR, surveillance and patrol operations, and humanitarian relief.
The flagging ceremony of the POLA is planned for November 2018. A full integrated process of setting to work, commissioning, training, tests and trials will continue in 2019.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations]()
SOF Week 2026: US NSW explores 3D-printed USVs for forward-deployed operations
US Naval Special Warfare Command is assessing the feasibility of rapidly producing expendable mid-sized USVs in theatre to support SOF and maritime security missions.
-
![MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system]()
MARSOC selects upgraded Shark Marine dive navigation system
MARSOC is procuring the Shark Marine Dive Tablet 2 to address a longstanding combat diver navigation capability gap, improving underwater positioning, situational awareness and integration with existing diver propulsion vehicles.
-
![SOF Week 2026: NSW expands commercial UxS push to maritime platforms as USASOC advances FPV drone effort]()
SOF Week 2026: NSW expands commercial UxS push to maritime platforms as USASOC advances FPV drone effort
The US Army Special Operations Command and Naval Special Warfare are accelerating efforts to integrate commercial uncrewed systems, with NSW broadening its solicitation to include USVs and UUVs alongside new requirements for ISR, kinetic operations and swarm technologies.
-
![SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV completes record eight-day autonomous mission]()
SOF Week 2026: US Navy USV completes record eight-day autonomous mission
The MARTAC T38 Devil Ray USV has set a new endurance benchmark as the US Navy pushes deeper into autonomous maritime warfare.
-
![UK Royal Navy dock build question remains open ahead of Programme Euston tender]()
UK Royal Navy dock build question remains open ahead of Programme Euston tender
The UK MoD’s Programme Euston floating dry dock tender has exposed a question about the UK’s naval industrial base: does Britain still have the depth to sustain its own deterrent without foreign intervention.
