In an indication of what might well become one of the new boat’s main activities, A&R described the 21.5 knot Bayreuth as an ‘environmental protection vessel’. With steel hulls made in Russia and aluminium superstructures, the boats draw 3.5m and displace 801 tons.

They have crews of 14 and 10 additional berths. They are replacing older units in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea and A&R said they had been given improved sea keeping behaviour and manoeuvrability. Their wide radius of action - 6,500nm at a cruising speed of 12 knots - also guaranteed long operational periods at sea and facilitated close national and international border police co-operation, it said.

The new Coastguard boats have hybrid diesel-mechanical/ electric, single wave propulsion system based on an MTU 11673 5200kW main engine for high speeds and an electric motor powered by the ships’ network.