Damen SIGMA 10714 for Colombia
Always interesting to see what other countries are doing in terms of ships that will perform coast guard style missions. In some countries, these are their largest warships.
Two recent reports from Latin America.
- “COTECMAR and Damen sign historic contract to build Colombia’s first locally constructed” –Army Recognition, Navy News
- “Brazil Launches The First Tamandaré-Class Frigate” –Naval News
In both cases they have chosen to build ships with the assistance of experienced European shipbuilders. Both are smaller than either the National Security Cutter or the Offshore Patrol Cutter.
Brazil has launched the first of a planned eight Tamandaré-Class Frigates, pictured above, designed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany. It is evolved from earlier MEKO designs that include the German K130 Braunschweig class corvettes and the Israeli Sa’ar 6. 
Colombia has contracted with Damen, designers of the USCG Fast Response Cutters, to help locally build the first of five planned light frigates that will replace four somewhat smaller sized Admirante Padilla class ships commissioned 1983/4. The design is a Damen SIGMA 10714 design, meaning it is 107 meters (353′) in length with a beam of 14 meters (46′). The design is closely related to ships built in Mexico (pictured below) and in Indonesia.
Mexico’s Damen SIGMA 10514, ARM Benito Juárez (POLA-101)