Builder Moss Point Marine Class and type Offshore Patrol Vessel | Acquired 12 January 1999 Length 60 m | |
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Owner Royal Bahamas Defence Force | ||
HMBS Bahamas (P-60), along with sister ship HMBS Nassau (P-61), is a 198 foot Offshore Patrol Vessel delivered to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force on 12 January 1999. Both vessels were built by Moss Point Marine of Escatawpa, Mississippi (now VT Halter Marine) to a design by Vosper International Ltd, Naval Architects and Designers, Glasgow, UK. Bahamas serves the RBDF by patrolling Bahamian waters in anti-poaching and illegal immigration control missions, notably interdicting Haitian vessels, as well as drug enforcement missions in cooperation with the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration as part of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT).
Two small Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, 4 .50 Caliber M2 machine guns mounted aft and at mid-ship, and a larger bow-mounted automatic cannon provide flexible capabilities in the face of different contingencies. A full galley, sick-bay and living quarters allow Bahamas to fulfill longer duration missions than many of the RBDF's other smaller vessels.
The comparatively large size of Bahamas excludes her from use of the RBDF's primary facility at Coral Harbour on New Providence's west coast, so the vessel is based at Prince George Wharf in Nassau Harbour. Bahamas rarely sails, which many critical locals suggest is due to the RBDF's inability to afford fuel for her.
During 2016 Bahamas has been receiving a major refit at a local Bahamian yard, with the assistance of the Dutch Damen Group.