According to FMV, the procurement has been carried out in close cooperation with both the navy and the army and includes a total of 48 boats. During the material handover that took place on Wednesday, 1 March, the first 14 of these were delivered.
- Thanks to good cooperation between FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, and the supplier, we have succeeded in delivering a long-awaited and modern replacement for Patrol Boat 51, which will be of great benefit in several branches of the Swedish Armed Forces, says Jacob Andersson, project manager at FMV.
FMV states that the project began in 2020 when they were tasked with preparing the basis for the procurement of new inflatable boats for the navy and the army. The new inflatable boat will be referred to as Inflatable Boat Patrol by the Swedish Armed Forces and replaces, among others, Patrol Boat 51, a boat type from the 1960s. Verification and validation of the new boats were carried out last year. The validation, the part of the procurement process that determines whether the system meets the needs of the Swedish Armed Forces, was conducted in a unit environment by the Trial Department at the Göta Engineer Regiment in Eksjö, with support from FMV.
Inflatable Boat Patrol:
- Length: 4.70m
- Weight: 120kg
- Max load capacity: 1350kg
- Max number of passengers: 6 persons
- Engine power: 30hp
- Usage area: The inflatable boats will be used, among other things, for reconnaissance prior to the construction of floating bridge/ferry connections, as well as for crossing waterways.