Tanzania has strengthened its maritime security capabilities with the launch of two high-speed patrol boats designed to combat growing threats in its territorial waters and the Indian Ocean, while enhancing the protection of the country's expanding blue economy.

Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba last week commissioned the vessels, PB Sailfish 02 and PB Sailfish 03, in Dar es Salaam, marking another milestone in Tanzania's efforts to improve maritime surveillance, law enforcement, and emergency response along its coastline and the Great Lakes region.

The two patrol boats join PB Sailfish 01, which entered service in March 2024, giving the country a three-vessel fleet capable of responding rapidly to incidents at sea.

The new vessels can attain speeds of up to 50 knots (about 92.6 kilometres per hour), enabling them to travel between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar in approximately 30 minutes under favourable sea conditions. Their speed is expected to significantly improve response times during search-and-rescue operations and security incidents.

The investment comes at a time when the Western Indian Ocean continues to face a range of maritime security challenges, including illegal fishing, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, piracy risks, maritime terrorism, and the movement of contraband through coastal waters.

Although piracy off the Somali coast has declined sharply following coordinated international naval operations, security experts warn that the threat has not disappeared, making sustained maritime surveillance essential for coastal states such as Tanzania.

The patrol boats are also expected to help protect offshore infrastructure, secure shipping lanes linking East African ports with global markets, and curb the illegal exploitation of marine resources that costs coastal economies millions of dollars annually.

Built in Japan to international standards approved by Tanzanian government experts, the vessels underwent rigorous quality inspections before delivery. Technical teams drawn from the Prime Minister's Office, the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation (TASAC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Institute of Rural Development Planning monitored construction and assessed compliance with project specifications.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi, said the name "Sailfish", known in Kiswahili as Sulisuli, symbolises one of the fastest fish in the ocean, reflecting the vessels' speed and operational capability.

He said the new patrol boats would strengthen Tanzania's capacity to conduct maritime patrols, investigations, and law enforcement operations while deterring criminal activities at sea.

The acquisition forms part of Tanzania's broader strategy to safeguard its maritime domain, protect marine resources, and create a secure environment for trade, tourism, and investment under the country's blue economy agenda.