Louisiana builder wins US Government contract to supply 13 patrol boats to Vietnam

Louisiana shipbuilder Metal Shark received a U.S. government contract to build 13 patrol boats for Vietnam under a security-assistance arrangement. The vessels will be produced at the company’s Jeanerette facility and add to 24 boats previously delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard between 2017 and 2020. The order continues maritime-capacity support intended to improve patrol, law-enforcement, and sovereignty missions. Public reporting did not disclose the contract value, exact boat configuration, delivery sequence, or receiving units, so the operational impact will depend on final outfitting and training.