Defiant 40 (40PB)

The United States is building 13 small patrol vessels, based on the Damen Stan 2606 patrol vessel design, for small Caribbean nations, to be known as the Defiant class. The United States Navy, which will play an oversight role in the ship's construction, also calls the design Near Coastal Patrol Vessels. The $54 million contract was awarded to Metal Shark Boats of Louisiana. Partner nations include Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Guatemala. Like the United States Coast Guard's very successful Marine Protector class, also based on the Damen 2606 design, the Defiant-class vessels are to be equipped with a stern launching ramp.

Designed by Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark, the Defiant 40 (designated 40 PB by the U.S. Navy) was developed to replace the aging 34-foot Dauntless-class patrol boats under the Navy's PB(X) modernization program. The vessel officially entered service with the U.S. Navy's Maritime Expeditionary Security Forces in 2021 following a multi-year contract award in 2017. Beyond its primary domestic role in protecting American ports and high-value naval assets, several units were delivered to Ukraine starting in 2022 as part of military aid packages to defend its maritime borders. Today, the 40 PB remains in active production and service, serving as a cornerstone of modern tactical littoral warfare and coastal defense for the United States and its allies.