Six companies have received contracts from Britain's Ministry of Defense to maintain a fleet of boats operated by the country's military.

The contracts, with a combined value of about $186 million, were awarded to Devonport Royal Dockyard Ltd; UK Dock Tyne Slipway & Eng Co Ltd; Berthon Boat Co Ltd; MPI Services (UK), trading as Manor Marine Ltd; Marine Specialised Tech Ltd; and BAE Systems Surface Ships.

A total of 1,500 boats operated by the Royal Navy, Ministry of Defense Police, Royal Marines, and Army are covered by the awards. Among the boats are offshore raiding craft, pontoons, police launches and Pacific 24 ribs and inflatables, the ministry said.

"The award of these contracts by the MOD provides the UK's marine support industry with a steady volume of work, helping to maintain technical and engineering skills in this sector," said Minister for Defense Equipment Support and Technology Philip Dunne. "The competition attracted interest from across the marine industry, and is another example of the MOD's commitment to seek best value for money from the commercial market."

The maintenance contracts cover the upkeep, repair, chartering, defect rectification, technical support, and provision of spares and replacements.

Ireland exercises contract option for offshore patrol boat
Dublin, Ireland (UPI) Jun 11, 2013 - Ireland has placed an order with Babcock Marine for a third offshore patrol vessel, exercising an option of a current contract with the company.

The OPV will cost of about $73.2 million -- the price agreed to under the 2012 contract. It will be delivered in 2016, joining the LE Samuel Beckett and the LE James Joyce, which is currently under construction as part of a patrol vessel replacement program.

"I recently attended the commissioning ceremony of LE Samuel Beckett, which brought home to me the necessity to continue with the vessel replacement strategy," said Minister for Defense Mr. Enda Kenny. "The new ship is impressive and offers excellent value and I am convinced that this is the right time to maintain the momentum with the replacement strategy and move forward with a placing of a contract for the third patrol vessel."

In addition to holding the defense portfolio, Kenny is also the government's Taoiseach, or head of government.

The Samuel Beckett-class OPV is about 295 feet long and about 46 feet in the beam. It has a baseline speed of 23 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles when cruising at 15 knots.

"Naval Service ships assert the integrity of our territorial waters as well as protecting the marine resources of the country," Kenny said. "The Naval Service's operational capacity in a highly demanding environment will be enhanced when the three new Offshore Vessels are in service."