A patrol boat is a small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence duties. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or even police force and may be intended for marine (blue water) and/or estuarine or river (brown water) environments. They are commonly found engaged in various border protection roles, including anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, fisheries patrols, and immigration law enforcement. They are also often called upon to participate in rescue operations.

Patrol boats are typically around 30m (100 ft) in length and usually carry a single gun as main armament, along with a variety of lighter secondary armament such as machine guns. They are usually diesel-powered, although some modern designs use gas turbines, and speeds are generally in the 25-30 knot range.

Similar vessels for exclusively military duties include torpedo boats and missile boats. The U.S. Navy operated the Pegasus class of armed hydrofoils for years, in a patrol boat role.

Examples of Patrol Boats:

• Eagle class patrol craft of World War I and World War II
• Armidale-class, (Royal Australian Navy)
• Fearless-class, (Singapore)
• Island-class, (USCG)
• Kingston-class, (Canadian Navy)
• Chamsuri-class (Republic of Korea Navy)
• Mirage-class (Type 14310), (Russian Navy)
• River-class, (Royal Navy)
• Róisín-class, (Irish Naval Service)
• Zara-class, (Italian Guardia di Finanza)

See also

• List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy

Ship types | Patrol vessels

Patrouillenboot | Vedetta (nave) | Patruļkuģis | 巡視船 | Patrolni čamac | Патролни чамац