County-class patrol vessel

The County class is a class of offshore patrol vessels built for the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard (JDF). Based on the Dutch Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel, the first vessel entered service in 2005.^[1][2][3] Three were originally purchased, but only one remains in service with the JDF. In 2017, an additional two vessels were purchased and both remain in service as of 2023.^[4] The Jamaican vessels are equipped with a stern launching ramp, capable of deploying and retrieving a small jet boat, for rescue or pursuit. The vessels' bridge electronics were supplied by Alphatron Marine.^[5][6]

Two of the Jamaican Coast Guard patrol vessels
Class overview
Builders	Damen Group
Operators	Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard
Built	2005–2006
In commission	2005 – present
Completed	3
Active	1
General characteristics
Type	Damen Stan 4207 patrol vessel
Length	42.8 m (140 ft 5 in)[1]
Speed	26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Complement	17

Ships in class

The three original vessels of the County class are Cornwall (2005), Middlesex (2005), and Surrey. They were delivered in 2005 and 2006. Two additional ships were ordered in 2016 and commissioned the next year, also with the names Cornwall (2016) and Middlesex (2017).

Name	Ship Builder	Commissioned	Status	Note
HMJS Cornwall (2005)	Damen Shipyard	October 27, 2005	In service with Nicaraguan Navy	[7][8]
HMJS Middlesex (2005)		April 7, 2006	In service with SVG Coast Guard	[7][8][9]
HMJS Surrey		June 26, 2007	In service with JDF Coast Guard
HMJS Cornwall (2016)		January 2017	In service with JDF Coast Guard	[10][11]
HMJS Middlesex (2017)		January 2017	In service with JDF Coast Guard	[10][11]

Service history

In 2012 the Jamaican Fire Brigade had only one of its four fireboats operational, and had requested that the County-class patrol vessels help fill in until its more modern replacement vessels were delivered.^[12]

In 2017 Nicaragua purchased the original Cornwall and Middlesex.^[13][14] In 2019, Middlesex was purchased from the Nicaraguan Navy by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard and renamed Captain Hugh Mulzac.^[15]