US Donates Decommissioned Cutters to Tunisia to Bolster Regional Security

The U.S. government is continuing its support to strengthen the capabilities of the Tunisian armed forces to enable them to respond effectively to a fragile security situation and a worsening immigrant crisis in the northern Africa region. According to U.S. officials in Tunisia for the commissioning of two former USCG cutters, these steps are reinforcing the enduring partnership between the two countries.

The two Island Class patrol boats, which had been part of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) fleet for years before they were decommissioned, were commissioned into at the naval base in La Goulette on April 17. They are expected to help the North African nation deal with growing security challenges including human trafficking, smuggling, organized crime, illegal immigration, and terrorism.

Now christened Tazarga and Menzel Bourguiba, the two 34-meter vessels were part of the 49-vessel Island class that was built between 1985 and 1992 for the U.S. Coast Guard. One of their key missions was in the war on drugs and later their mandates were extended to encompass the whole range of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, migrant, and military operations. The Island class ships, all of which were built at Bollinger's Lockport, Louisiana shipyard, are being replaced with Sentinel-class patrol boats.

Today, a majority of the boats have been retired from American service but most continue to serve in many allied foreign coast guards and navies. Among the recipients of the ships are Pakistan, Ukraine, Greece, Georgia, and Costa Rica.

The U.S. contends the donation of the two vessels to the Tunisian Navy is critical in strengthening Tunisia’s capacity to secure its maritime borders and advance regional security. Equipped with twin diesel engines that allow them to achieve speeds of up to 30 knots, the boats can operate over a range exceeding 3,000 nautical miles, a capability that is ideal for patrolling Tunisia’s vast coastline. Each vessel is armed with a 25mm Mk 38 machine gun and two .50 caliber machine guns and also features advanced radar and navigation systems.

The two vessels are the latest military assets that the U.S. has donated to Tunisia. In recent months, the U.S. has also donated four Textron C-208EX aircraft and six C-130 military aircraft to the Tunisian Air Force to support its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Apart from military assets and equipment donations, Washington has also invested more than $1 billion in security cooperation with Tunisia since 2011.

The commissioning of Tazarga and Menzel Bourguiba into the Tunisia Navy fleet coincided with a scheduled port visit of the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship, USS Mount Whitney to the country as part of the U.S. commitment to regional stability.

“The visit is especially meaningful because it falls during the 220th anniversary of the 1805 Battle of Derna, when, through the support and cooperation of Tunisia, the U.S. military defeated maritime terrorism to make a more stable and secure region for commerce and economic development,” said Joey Hood, U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia.

Forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, Mount Whitney, is part of the 6th Fleet area of operations that supports U.S. national security interests, security, and stability in Europe and Africa.