GDFS Berbice

GDFS Berbice is a 115 Defiant-class patrol vessel of the Guyana Defence Force. It was launched in 2023 shortly before the 2023 Guyana–Venezuela crisis.

Ship history
Amid the renewed Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute in the 2010s when Guyana discovered offshore oil, Venezuela increased its aggression towards its eastern neighbor. Concerns about Guyana's aging flagship, GDFS Essequibo, were raised. In May 2021, Guyana used emergency funds to make a down payment to commence the construction of the GDFS Berbice, citing the need to defend its exclusive economic zone from Venezuela.

On 4 August 2023, the Berbice was launched from the Metal Shark Boats production factory in Jeanerette, Louisiana. Months later on 30 October 2023, Metal Shark announced that the ship sailed to its shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The Berbice was incorporated into the Guyana Defence Force in Georgetown, Guyana on 12 November 2023. Venezuelan media criticized the incorporation of the ship.

Specifications
The Berbice is 115 ft long, has a range of 2000 nmi at 12 kn and can travel at a top speed of 25 kn. It has a crew of twenty-four officers and sailors. It can also serve as a mother ship for 5 m rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) that can be crewed by ten individuals.