The US Shipyard Metal Shark has delivered the Near Coastal Patrol Vessel (NCPV) Arcturus, CG-114, to the Navy of the Dominican Republic (Armada de República Dominicana). The ship is the seventh NCPV built by the shipyard for US allies across the Greater Caribbean.
Arcturus is a welded aluminum ship, with a length of 25.9 m by 5.9 m wide. The vessel is powered by twin 1,600-horsepower Caterpillar C-32 marine diesel engines with a maximum speed of over 25 knots. “The vessel has been designed for missions of up to six days at sea, supporting an operating crew of ten,” the company explained on a 4 September press release.
The vessel carries a 5.6-meter Metal Shark-built aluminum rigid inflatable boat (RIB) powered by twin 50-horsepower Mercury four-stroke outboard. In a 24 August press release, the Dominican Ministry of Defense explained that the ship can carry between three and five medium or heavy machine guns. The vessel was formally commissioned into the DR Navy on 31 August, in a ceremony at Sans Soucí Port.
The fleet has received two vessels via this program: the first one was Betelgeuse, CG-102, delivered in 2020. The commissioning of Betelgeuse and Arcturus has “consolidated” the modernization of the Dominican Republic’s Navy, the service explained.
The company explained that Arcturus will be utilized for maritime surveillance missions to support the control of the Dominican Republic’s jurisdictional waters. Metal Shark noted that Arcturus, like Betelgeuse, will be utilized to “combat drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal fishing, and transnational organized crime, while also conducting search and rescue operations at sea.” Illegal fishing is a particular problem for the country. On 7 September, the service announced the interception and arrest of two fishing vessels in Pedernales and Montecristi provinces carrying out illegal fishing activities. The crews of both boats were all Haitian nationals.
In 2017, Metal Shark announced a US$54 million contract to build up to 13 Defiant 85-class NCPVs for US allies. Other countries that have received the vessels include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama. The program is labeled as foreign military sales (FMS) and is financed by the US Navy.
“The NCPV reflects Metal Shark’s enduring partnership and commitment to advancing shared defense and security interests, reinforcing the strong ties between our nations as we work together to safeguard critical coastal and economic resources,” said Henry Irizarry, Senior Vice President of International Business Development at Metal Shark.
The Dominican Ministry of Defense explained that the Dominican government “financed 30% of the total cost, while the other 70% was financed by the US.” The project highlights “the close bilateral relationship” between the two governments “to combat common threats in the region.”
August and early September were busy weeks for the Dominican Navy. On 4 September, President Luis Abinader replaced the service’s leadership; Rear Admiral Juan Bienvenido Crisóstomo Martínez is now commander of the force.
Besides receiving a brand-new vessel, between early and mid-August, the service inaugurated infrastructural upgrades in Naval Base Las Calderas, as well as in naval stations Paraíso, Bahoruco, and Los Patos, and the expansion of the school of Naval Command and Staff Graduate School (Escuela de Graduados de Comando y Estado Mayor Naval, EGCEMN).
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