This September Colombia’s navy received the first three of eight new 2000TD hovercraft designed and built by Griffon Hoverwork of the United Kingdom. The fully amphibious 2000TD measures 41 feet in length, displaces 5 tons, and can carry more than 4,000 tons of cargo or 15 fully equipped troops at speeds exceeding 40 knots across the littorals, beaches, or farther inland. These modern air-cushion craft have proven highly suitable for a wide range of missions and geographic locations and currently serve in navies and coast guards all over the world. In Northern European nations such as Sweden, the highly maneuverable vessels are fitted with enhanced insulation and heating packages, and some have been specially modified to transport snowmobiles. In South American navies such as Venezuela’s or Peru’s (which recently ordered five additional units), they are frequently fitted with enhanced ballistic protection to operate in the Amazonian regions conducting shallow-water and riverine operations.
The French Ministry of Defense has finalized plans to upgrade France’s fleet of Atlantique 2 maritime-patrol aircraft. The contract, signed in early October, calls for modernization of 15 aircraft to ensure their effectiveness through at least 2030. Improvements to the Dassault-built units will include a new tactical mission system, enhanced sensor subsystems, and modern display consoles. The Atlantique Mk 2 first entered operational service in 1989, with the final one delivered late in 1997. The 105-foot aircraft has a wingspan of 122 feet and can carry 2 Exocet antiship missiles or 8 lightweight torpedoes as well as depth charges, numerous sensors, and sonobuoys. It boasts a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles with impressive 18-hour mission endurance. Twenty-eight of the aircraft are reportedly in service with the French navy, which typically maintains 22 on operational status. The Atlantique Mk 2 is based on the earlier Mk 1 variant of the aircraft that entered European service in the 1960s.
The Philippine Marine Corps has received six small-unit riverine craft (SURC). The vessels, transferred this fall from the United States under the Foreign Military sales program, are similar to the riverine patrol boats currently operated by the U.S. Navy’s Coastal Riverine Force. Displacing roughly 10 tons, the 40-foot SURCs are expected to assist with counterterrorism operations, particularly around the southern Mindanao region that continues to be plagued with guerrilla unrest and Islamic militancy. In addition to personnel transport and riverine patrol operations, the craft can also be used for medical evacuation, reconnaissance, logistics, and other duties. Armament options are likely to include grenade launchers and machine guns to provide 360-degree fields of fire, which are often required for the close confines of riverine operations. Constructed of aluminum with a foam collar, the six SURCs are said to cost a total of $12 million, or $2 million per unit.