OCEA FPB 98 is a series of high-speed patrol boats manufactured by the French shipbuilding company OCEA. In the photo that appeared online you can see that the third boat (flight number BG203) of this type for the Maritime Guard of Ukraine is being prepared for launch in France at the OCEA Shipbuilding in the municipality of Les Sables-d’Olonne.

Ukraine signed a contract for the construction of 20 OCEA FPB 98 boats for the Sea Guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on July 22, 2020. Prior to that, in November 2019 in Paris a framework agreement between the governments of Ukraine and France to support maritime security and protection.

OCEA FPB 98 – the third boat of the Sea Guard of Ukraine is being prepared for launch

The cost of the contract is 136.5 million euros, while the French side will provide financial support for the project, which will amount to 85% of the total amount, i.e. loans of 116 million euros. Loan repayment period – no more than 10 years.

According to the agreements, the Sea Guard will receive 20 FPB 98 Mk I boats within three years “to ensure the country’s sovereignty in the Azov and Black Seas.” Thus 15 of them will be built on ship OCEA in France, and 5 more – in Ukraine at the Mykolaiv shipbuilding and ship-repair plant Nibulon. The hull of the first boat was built in the second half of 2020.

OCEA FPB 98 – the third boat of the Sea Guard of Ukraine is being prepared for launch

The first boat OCEA FPB 98 (board number BG201) was launched on December 9, 2021. The boat was expected to arrive in Ukraine in the spring of 2022, after running tests. On February 21, 2022, just before the Russian invasion, the second boat with board number BG202 was launched. As you can see in the photo, the third boat – BG203 – is currently being prepared for the launch. Unfortunately, due to the blockade of the Ukrainian coast, the delivery of boats to Ukraine is postponed until our victory in the war.

OCEA FPB 98 (FPB – Fast Patrol Boat) is one of the most popular military boats in the modern history of French shipbuilding. In 2020, 66 FPB 98 units have been ordered, which have strengthened the fleets of Algeria, Benin, Nigeria and Suriname. The first FPB 98 boats were launched in 2008.

OCEA FPB 98 has a crew of 14 people and is armed with 20 or 30 mm artillery, depending on the customer’s wishes. The maximum speed of the vessel is 65 km/h.

OCEA FPB 98 – the third boat of the Sea Guard of Ukraine is being prepared for launch

Specifications
Type – patrol boat
Displacement – about 100 tons
Length – 31.8 m
Width – 6.3 m
Draft – 1.15 m
Hull – aluminum alloy
Speed ​​- up to 35 knots (65 km /h)
Cruising endurance – 1,200 miles (2,200 km) at 12 knots
Fuel endurance – from 7 to 10 days
Crew – 14 people
Armament – 20 or 30-mm artillery mount