Colombia’s Cotecmar shipyard has delivered eight new Low-Draft River Operation Boats (BOFBC) to Guatemala (formerly Low-Draft River Combat Boats-BCFBC), in development of the military-technical cooperation agreements signed between the two nations.
The units will be transported to the Central American nation aboard the Logistics and Humanitarian Aid Ship BL-1601 Quetzal.
The process, which strengthens binational relations in naval matters, includes, without official figures disclosed, the manufacture, delivery, training in the operation for the crews and in the maintenance for the personnel of the boats, as well as the training in the operational deployment of the boats.
Armored l weapon configuration
The BOFBC are boats made of aluminum hull with ballistic protection of the NIJ III type, with dimensions of 8.6 meters in length (length), 2.42 meters in beam (width), one meter of prop and a hull draft of 0.34 m.
The units can travel at maximum speeds of 24 knots by two 90 hp Mercury Seapro engines, with a range of up to 300 km and load capacities of up to 400 kilograms.
Cotecmar’s boats have a crew of eight marines and their equipment includes a Furuno-1623 radar and Ritchie Supersport SS-1002 compass.
BOFBCs have two different weapon configurations. The first is heavy-fired, with two 12.7x99mm Browning M-2HB QCB machine guns, one in the bow and one aft, and seven crew members. The second configuration includes a 12.7x99mm Browning M-2HB QCB machine gun at the bow, and two 5.56x45mm FN Herstal M-249, one port and one starboard, with a crew of eight.