July 6, 2009: Sri Lanka is buying six Israeli Super Dvora Mk III patrol boats. This model first entered service five years ago, and have been a great success. The 86 foot boats can operate in as little as four feet of water, thus they are useful for landing, or picking up, commandos. The boats are armed with a multibarrel 20mm cannon, or a single barrel 25-30mm cannon and a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. There is a crew of nine. The 70 ton boats can sprint to over 90 kilometers an hour, and have a max range (depending on cruising speed) of 1,800 kilometers. Most patrols are about 12 hours, but the boats can stay out three times longer if necessary. The propulsion system includes water jets, providing enormous maneuverability. This, and the high speed, enables the boats to catch smugglers or terrorists riding in speed boats. Electronics include radar, radio and GPS. These boats will mostly be used to prevent smuggling between India and Sri Lanka.
