February 16, 2010:  The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has received six new patrol boats from an Australian manufacturer. The 30 meter (93 foot) boats have a top speed of over 70 kilometers an hour, and can stay at sea for over four days, cruising at 18 kilometers an hour. The boats can operate in water less than two meters deep, which important because the large areas of shallow water around Trinidad and Tobago. The crew of eleven uses radar, GPS and water jets to safely navigate coastal waters in any weather. Armament consists of one 20mm and two 12.7mm machine-guns, plus small arms. There is also a 4.8 meter (15 foot) rigid inflatable boat on board.

The six patrol boats are mainly for going after drug smugglers, and doing search and rescue work around the islands. There are three larger (90 meter) corvettes for enforcing offshore fishing rules.