Metal Shark to Build 13 Patrol Boats for Vietnam

Metal Shark, a Louisiana-based boatbuilder, has been awarded a U.S. Government contract to construct 13 patrol boats for Vietnam, with options for additional vessels. The award builds on the company’s prior success delivering 24 purpose-built 45 Defiant military patrol boats to the Vietnam Coast Guard between 2017 and 2020. These 45-foot welded-aluminum boats helped strengthen Vietnam’s maritime security and law-enforcement capacity, supporting a widening U.S.-Vietnam security partnership after the long-standing U.S. arms embargo was lifted in 2016. The new Defiant-class boats will be built in Jeanerette, Louisiana, and will share a common platform to streamline training, maintenance and logistics.