Croatia’s Iskra Brodogradiliste Sibenik announced that it has secured a €17.5mn contract to build a coastal patrol vessel (CPV) for the Ministry of Interior in an international public tender, broadcaster HRT reported on February 12.

The ship’s designer is Metal Shark Croatia, a Rijeka-based subsidiary of the US company Metal Shark, which specialises in aluminium vessels.

Iskra has previously collaborated with the company on fast medical emergency boats and SAR (search and rescue) vessels. The contract was awarded ahead of competitors from Italy, Turkey, and Germany.

The project is considered highly demanding and represents a significant technological advance for the shipyard, given the vessel’s size, complex systems, the ministry's strict technical and tactical requirements, and the high EU safety standards for maritime border protection.

“The experience and proven quality of our technical team, particularly through the fast aluminium SAR boats project, gives me confidence that we will deliver a top-class modern vessel built entirely in Croatia,” said Iskra CEO Roko Vuletic.

The new patrol vessel will be 37.4 metres long, 9.7 metres wide, with unlimited sailing range, a maximum speed of 30 knots, and a 1,200-nautical-mile range at 25 knots. The vessel can accommodate up to 105 people.

Vuletic added that the contract will open new opportunities for Iskra in specialised aluminium vessel construction and international defence tenders amid growing EU security investments.