Six Navy boats by Metal Shark headed to Ukraine

Six U.S. Navy 40 maritime combat vessels are headed to Ukraine as part of a $450 million military security package to help the country better protect its waterways and ports, Metal Shark said in a press release Friday.

The 40-foot-long patrol boats were built by Metal Shark's Acadiana shipyards and delivered to the Navy last year as part of a contract to build 50 vessels.

Seventeen additional vessels bound for Ukraine are under construction at Metal Shark’s Franklin and Jeanerette shipyards. This includes 10 38-foot patrol vessels, four 38-foot center console control patrol vessels and three 36-foot military interceptor vessels.

Metal Shark officials said the boats are part of a long-range foreign policy strategy, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused the timeline to be accelerated. The vessels are being shipped immediately.

“Metal Shark has been working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv since 2019 to develop the strategy now being implemented to support Ukraine’s maritime capabilities, so it is fulfilling to see that the vessels will arrive when they are most needed,” said Henry Irizarry, Metal Shark’s vice president of international business development.

Metal Shark specializes in the design and construction of welded aluminum and steel vessels from 16 feet to over 300 feet for defense, law enforcement and commercial operators. Clients include the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, foreign militaries, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, pilot associations and towboat operators.