USCG orders seven OTH-IV cutter boats
The US Coast Guard has issued two delivery orders, worth a combined total of approximately $2.74 million, to SAFE Boats International for the supply of seven Over the Horizon IV (OTH-IV) cutter boats, the agency announced on 11 October.
The orders include trailers and familiarisation training. The 26ft boats have a maximum speed of 40kt. Improvements over previous boats include increased cargo space and seating, higher speeds and compatibility with both stern and side-davit launch and recovery systems.
The order brings the total number of OTH-IVs ordered to date to 103; the seven under the most recent order are scheduled for delivery starting in early 2019. Two of the cutter boats are planned for the eighth national security cutter, Midgett, and the other five are slated for fast response cutters.
The OTH-IV is the coast guard’s standard cutter boat to prosecute over the horizon missions with two assigned to each national security cutter, and one assigned to each fast response cutter and medium endurance cutter.
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