Finnish designer and manufacturer of combat boats Marine Alutech has signed a contract with the Lithuanian and the Latvian Ministry of Defense to develop and deliver combat boats based on Watercat M18 model.
As informed, the procurement is a part of the Common Future Multipurpose Attack Craft (CFMAC) program. The contract is the second step after the 2024 technical agreement between Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland to strengthen regional defense.
Under this contract, Lithuania will acquire two advanced, fast multirole attack craft. The Watercat M18 model is almost 20 meters long and has a beam of 4.3 meters. It is able to achieve a speed of 35 knots and has a range of 200 nautical miles. The craft is suitable for:
The vessel is specially designed for archipelagic, coastal, and offshore conditions.
Specifically, Lithuania will receive two high-speed vessels equipped with SPIKE NLOS missile launchers and remote heavy machine gun systems.
According to Marine Alutech, these boats are expected to make a significant contribution to the regional response to threats from the Gulf of Finland to the Curonian Lagoon. They will be dedicated to the Lithuanian Navy and will be operated by members of the Coastal Defense Battalion.
Thanks to their special design and propulsion systems, these vessels will be able to operate in extremely shallow waters and will enable a rapid response to a wide range of threats both on the water and on land, it was noted.
Marine Alutech delivered 12 Watercat M18 AMC multipurpose high-speed landing craft to the Finnish Navy.