(This report has been updated) In June 2022, the U.S. Navy (USN) announced a replacement for the expensive Mark VI(6) patrol boat; the 40PB Defiant.
As of January 2022, Ukraine placed an order for 12 Mark-6 patrol boats. This was part of a U.S. Department of State subsidized deal for 16 boats, announced back in June 2020!
In May 2021, the USN suspended their planned ‘divestment’ of the Mark-6 patrol boat.
Surprisingly, in February 2021 the USN announced that it will get rid of the Mark-6 by the end of the year, despite the fact that U.S. taxpayers already paid $15-million per Mark-6 Patrol Boat! The USN blames it on reliability problems and cost of operations, and the claim that the U.S. President Joseph Robinette Biden Junior wants to cut funding to the military!
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Brienna Tuck, 25FEB2021.
U.S. Navy Mark VI (6) patrol boat with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in The Philippine Sea, 25FEB2021. The Mark-6 was intended to replace much older Riverine boats. It looked like the Mark-6 was a highly capable patrol boat.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Brienna Tuck, 25FEB2021.
A Mark-6 refuels from USS Ashland (LSD 48) in The Philippine Sea, 25FEB2021.
USMC photo by Lance Corporal Brienna Tuck, 25FEB2021.
The news of the USN’s decision to ‘divest’ their Mark-6 Patrol Boats comes a month after (January 2021) Ukraine signed a U.S. State Department Foreign Military Sales deal to buy the 16 new-build Mark-6 boats from SAFE Boats International. The total cost of the U.S. taxpayer subsidized deal comes to $600-million!
USMC photo by Sergeant Jennessa Davey, 06JAN2021.
In June 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced a Foreign Military Sale for up to 16 Mark-6 patrol boats, and associated equipment, to Ukraine. State Department Foreign Military Sales are subsidized with U.S. taxpayer funding, because the sales are considered a form of “security assistance”!
U.S. Army photo by Specialist Cody Rich, 06MAY2020.
Somewhere in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, May 2020.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Kory Alsberry, 06MAY2020.
Video by Petty Officer Second Class William Carlisle, .50 cal. (12.7mm x 99mm) and 7.62mm NATO (7.62mm x 51mm) live fire near Bahrain, 16APR2020 (don’t get sea-sick):
In 2019, two Mark-6 boats set a record for nautical miles sailed by coastal/river patrol boats.
USN photo by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Nelson Doromal Junior, 19SEP2019.
Mark-6 off San Diego, California, 19SEP2019.
USN photo by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Nelson Doromal Junior, 19SEP2019.
USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Woody Paschall, 05JUN2019.
Mark-6 off San Diego, California, 05JUN2019.
USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Woody Paschall, 05JUN2019.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class John Philip Wagner Junior, 17MAY2019.
Mark-6 Patrol Boat delivered to Santa Rita, Guam, 17MAY2019.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class John Philip Wagner Junior, 17MAY2019.
Music video by Petty Officer Second Class Kelsey L. Adams, .50 cal. live fire, including remote .50 cal. weapon system, near Santa Rita, Guam, 29MAR2019:
U.S. Navy video report by Petty Officer First Class Stacy D. Laseter, 23APR2018:
The 12th USN Mark-6 was delivered in 2017 (Trump era).
Video by Petty Officer First Class Arthurgwain L. Marquez, Coastal Riverine Squadron Two (CRS-2) sails near Santa Rita, Guam, 30SEP2016:
USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Shannon Burns, 16DEC2016.
Three types of patrol boats, as of December 2016, from left to right; Sea Ark, Coastal Command boat, and Mark VI patrol boat.
SAFE Boats International delivered the first Mark-6, to the USN, in 2014 (Obama era). Originally it was thought that 48 patrol boats would be ordered, but only 12 were paid for.
River Gun Boat: 
ROMÂNIA
Vehicle I-D: 
U.S. NAVY KEEPS OLD U.S. ARMY BOAT-TRUCK AFLOAT
USMC 2020: 
LAST RIDE FOR 1ST, 2ND & 4TH TANK