Source: Seychelles StateHouse Press Release
The United Arab Emirates Royal Naval Forces have handed over 5 patrol vessels to the Seychelles Coast Guard to battle piracy, during an official ceremony held at the Coast Guard base yesterday afternoon.
The UAE pledged the donation of five maritime patrol vessels in July last year, and yesterday it has delivered on this pledge with great speed and efficiency. We are deeply grateful for this gesture and we note its importance as our fight against piracy is an immediate concern, which requires swift action and concrete support from the international community," said President Michel following his tour of the vessels.
The President noted that the technological capacities of the boats were of the highest standard, and that Seychelles Coast Guard officers were well trained to execute their new missions on the boats.
"This donation is a great achievement for our armed forces, as we will be increasing our capacity to fight the piracy threat by ensuring greater maritime surveillance capacity. This will provide greater support and reassurance to our fishermen, as well as other mariners of our region," said the President Michel.
"I hope that the two patrol boats and the three fast boats will help to limit the danger of piracy as well as enhance the joint cooperation between our two countries in the future," said HH Sheikh Saeed Bin Al Nahyan.
Two of these patrol boats are 30 metres long and can carry around 15 people each. The first has been named La Flèche and the second is Le Vigilant.
The other three are fast response boats at seven metres long and have a capacity to carry seven crew members. They all have a top speed of about 30 knots. They have been given numbers, as is customary for smaller vessels.