In France, Ukrainian engineers build a fleet for Ukraine’s border guards

23 shipbuilders from Mykolaiv have travelled to France to build a fleet for Ukrainian border guards. It is about five boats for the needs of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

The press service of Nibulon reported this. It is noted that even during the war, Mykolaiv shipbuilders are fulfilling the agreement between France and Ukraine signed in 2019.

The start of work was scheduled for February 2022. However, due to the full-scale invasion, it was decided to move production to France with the obligatory involvement of Ukrainian ships.

Pipefitters, hull assemblers, mechanics, welders, and technical support staff have left for France, where they will continue to implement the intergovernmental agreement at the facilities of the OSEA shipbuilding company.

The Ukrainian specialists will be involved in the construction of the boats from scratch, from the start of deck assembly to commissioning.

The expertise gained will allow us to carry out further maintenance of the fleet in Ukraine by our specialists.

This will help to keep the vessels in good condition and reduce the total cost of ownership of the fleet, which on average, accounts for 70% of maintenance costs.

The intergovernmental agreement between France and Ukraine is part of a project to strengthen Ukraine’s maritime safety and security system. The deal provides a €136.5 million loan from the French government and European banks for constructing French boats.

In total, the State Border Guard Service was to receive 20 patrol boats. The first three of them have already been launched. The five planned for implementation by Ukrainian specialists are to be built by October 2024.

The multifunctional boat for the needs of the State Emergency Service has all the necessary equipment to rescue people and provide emergency assistance on the water, extinguish fires, carry out diving and search operations, and clean water from pollution.

The vessel is additionally equipped for humanitarian demining and transporting cargo weighing up to 1.5 tonnes. The ship can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h, is designed for a crew of four and is made entirely of marine aluminium.