Panama receives four Damen Interceptors

Damen has delivered four Interceptor 1102 vessels to the National Air and Naval Service of Panama (SENAN), the company announced on 23 March.

SENAN has now placed an order for an additional batch of four Interceptors, which will also be built by Damen Shipyards Antalya in Turkey. Damen will provide training, spare parts and maintenance for all eight vessels.

The Interceptors will be based at the Fort Sherman Naval Base located at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal, from where they will be deployed in support of combating illegal drug-trafficking activities in the area.

The Damen Interceptor 1102 is constructed from fibre reinforced polymer composite materials and is powered by twin Volvo D6 engines. Able to reach speeds of more than 55 knots, the vessel's single chine hull is designed to reduce the amount of impact in heavier seas and improve high speed manoeuvrability.

At 11m long, the vessel can carry up to six people for a range of maritime security operations such as anti-smuggling, anti-terrorist, rapid response, surveillance and special forces operations.