County-class patrol vessel

The County class is a class of offshore patrol vessels built for the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard (JDF). Based on the Dutch Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel, the first vessel entered service in 2005.[1][2][3] Three were originally purchased, but only one remains in service with the JDF. In 2017, an additional two vessels were purchased and both remain in service as of 2023.[4] The Jamaican vessels are equipped with a stern launching ramp, capable of deploying and retrieving a small jet boat, for rescue or pursuit. The vessels' bridge electronics were supplied by Alphatron Marine.[5][6]

Two of the Jamaican Coast Guard patrol vessels
Class overview
BuildersDamen Group
OperatorsJamaica Defence Force Coast Guard
Built2005–2006
In commission2005 – present
Completed3
Active1
General characteristics
TypeDamen Stan 4207 patrol vessel
Length42.8 m (140 ft 5 in)[1]
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Complement17

Ships in class

The three original vessels of the County class are Cornwall (2005), Middlesex (2005), and Surrey. They were delivered in 2005 and 2006. Two additional ships were ordered in 2016 and commissioned the next year, also with the names Cornwall (2016) and Middlesex (2017).

Name Ship Builder Commissioned Status Note
HMJS Cornwall (2005) Damen Shipyard October 27, 2005 In service with Nicaraguan Navy [7][8]
HMJS Middlesex (2005) April 7, 2006 In service with SVG Coast Guard [7][8][9]
HMJS Surrey June 26, 2007 In service with JDF Coast Guard
HMJS Cornwall (2016) January 2017 In service with JDF Coast Guard [10][11]
HMJS Middlesex (2017) January 2017 In service with JDF Coast Guard [10][11]

Service history

In 2012 the Jamaican Fire Brigade had only one of its four fireboats operational, and had requested that the County-class patrol vessels help fill in until its more modern replacement vessels were delivered.[12]

In 2017 Nicaragua purchased the original Cornwall and Middlesex.[13][14] In 2019, Middlesex was purchased from the Nicaraguan Navy by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard and renamed Captain Hugh Mulzac.[15]

References
  1. "Navy (Jamaica), Navy". Janes. 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2011-12-03. The capabilities of the Jamaican Coast Guard were greatly enhanced with the acquisition in 2005 and 2006 of three Damen offshore patrol vessels.
  2. "SENTINEL Class Patrol Boat: Media Round Table" (PDF). United States Coast Guard. 2008-09-30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
  3. "Mid-Shore Patrol Vessel". Canadian Coast Guard. 2011-06-15. Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2011-12-03. The Mid-Shore Patrol Vessel is based on Damen's Stan Patrol 4207 design. As of 2001, 16 vessels based on this design have been built and are currently in use by agencies such as the UK Border Agency and the Coast Guards of the Netherlands, Barbados, Jamaica, and Albania.
  4. "Jamaica Defence Force returns to Damen for fleet renewal". Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  5. "Alphatron Marine". Retrieved 2014-09-22.
  6. "NavComms Bonanza at Europort". Maritime Journal. 2005-10-01. Archived from the original on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2011-12-03. On show at Europort Maritime will be the full working Lloyds approved INS bridge concept as supplied to a series of Damen Stan Patrol OSV 4207 coast guard vessels for the Jamaica Coast Guard.
  7. "Las Patrulleras Damen entran en servicio en la Fuerza Navalde Nicaragua" (in Spanish). Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  8. "Nicaragua commissions new Damen patrol vessels". Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  9. Baird Maritime (2019-01-20). "SVG Coast Guard to recommission ex-HMJS Middlesex". Baird Maritime. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  10. "Jamaica Defence Force returns to Damen for fleet renewal". Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  11. "Venezuelan patrol vessels Guartcaostas (PG-63) and Chitty Gurling (PG-64) and Jamaican HMJS Cornwall and Middlesex". 30 December 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  12. Dunkley-Willis, Alicia (2013-11-07). "Jamaica to get more fire boats". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2013-12-11. "It is the understanding between us and the marine police and the coastguards once these kinds of calls come in they will respond to our base. Our equipment and persons are still there. If we look at it most of the marine police stations tend to be beside fire boat stations," he told Observer editors and reporters.
  13. Montes, Julio (2019-03-12). "Las Patrulleras Damen entran en servicio en la Fuerza Navalde Nicaragua" [The Damen Patrol boats enter service in the Nicaraguan Naval Force]. Defensa. Retrieved 2019-08-09. Los navios tenian el numero de astillero YN549860 y YV 549862, correspondientes al ex HMJS Cornwall, y el ex HMJS Surrey.
  14. Sanchez, Alejandro (2019-08-09). "Nicaragua commissions new Damen patrol vessels". Jane's Navy International. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 2019-08-09. Plans to acquire two Damen Stan Patrol 4207 craft from Damen were confirmed in December 2017. The ships are understood to have previously been operated by Jamaica until 2016 and were overhauled in the Netherlands.
  15. "SVG Coast Guard to recommission ex-HMJS Middlesex". Baird Maritime. 2019-01-20. Retrieved 2022-10-23.

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