T&T receives Coast Guard vessels from Australia

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has announced that it has taken delivery of two Cape Class Coast Guard vessels from shipbuilder Austal at its shipyard in Perth, Australia.

Trinidad and Tobago: The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has announced that it has taken delivery of two Cape Class Coast Guard vessels from shipbuilder Austal at its shipyard in Perth, Australia.

These two Cape Class Coast Guard vessels are scheduled to leave Australia for Trinidad and Tobago island on May 20 2021, transported on a heavy lift ship and are expected to arrive on the island in mid-July, weather permitting, after a six to seven-week journey.

Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago- Dr Keith Rowley was accompanied by Foreign Minister -Dennis Moses and – Stuart Young, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, to meet with Malcolm Turnbull- Prime Minister of Australia, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, on 24th May in 2018 to discuss the procurement and financing of the vessels using their Export Financing and Insurance Corporation -EFIC, and the Australian Defence Fund.

Addressing at the delivery ceremony, Paddy Gregg – Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer stated, “The two patrol boats were the first Cape class vessels manufactured by Austal to be exported, following the delivery of ten similar vessels to the – ABF Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy over the prior decade.

Receiving the vessels on behalf of the government of Trinidad and Tobago, Lieutenant Commander Francise Paulette Cazoe thanked the Austal Australia team for their exceptional effort, dedication and commitment to quality and safety, mainly under COVID-19 pandemic situations.

The Prime Minister further had delivered a comprehensive statement on the details of this issue in Parliament on Friday 11 January 2019.

He stated, “These two vessels, designated – TTCG Scarborough and TTCG Port of Spain, are welcomed additions to our National Security and economical marine protection, as they have been built to specification, approved by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, to provide the necessary monitoring and offshore patrolling of all our marine acreage.”