DE&S sells three Royal Marines hovercraft to Pakistan Navy

Above: A handover event was held in London, attended by Commodore Richard Whalley and DE&S colleagues, alongside those from the Pakistan High Commission London, the Attaché Defence Procurement and other senior representatives from both ministries.
Courtesy DE&S

Previously used by Royal Marines, the hovercraft were decommissioned from service in 2021. In 2022, DE&S awarded UK-based Griffon Marine Support a contract, overseen by the DE&S Boats Team, to refurbish the boats and prepare them for transfer.

The hovercraft have now been sold by the DE&S Exports & Sales Team – a key part of the UK’s export enterprise, delivering essential equipment capability to allies and partners through Government-to-Government export and sale of surplus defence equipment.

The LCAC(L) can traverse both land and water and was identified by the sales team as being well-suited to Pakistan’s maritime environment, offering highly mobile, shallow‑water operational capability for operations such as coastal patrol, humanitarian assistance, and rapid deployment missions.

Commodore Richard Whalley, Head of Exports and Sales at DE&S, said: “This sale continues a long history of excellent defence equipment sales with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and reaffirms our positive defence relations. By transferring these proven assets, we are supporting the Pakistan Navy’s ability to enhance its coastal and amphibious operations, supporting our shared goal of maintaining global security as well as providing a return for the UK’s defence budget.”

Through the managed sale and disposal of surplus UK defence equipment, the DE&S Exports and Sales team ensures economic returns while extending the operational life of military capabilities.

A Pakistan Navy spokesperson said: “The Pakistan Navy values its defence cooperation with the UK. This is evident through joint exercises, training exchanges, defence acquisitions and collaborative efforts in maritime security. Our recent acquisition of hovercraft from the UK will enhance our defence capabilities, particularly in maritime security and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Operations.”

Griffon Marine Support, headquartered in Southampton, will continue to provide in-service support for the hovercraft under its own contract with the Pakistan Navy, building on Pakistan’s use of LCAC(L)s by its armed forces for over 20 years.

Dan Pountney, Head of Griffon Marine Support, added: “It has been a pleasure working alongside the DE&S Exports & Sales Team and the DE&S Boats Team – who we have supported for the past seven years with maintenance, refits, and mid-life upgrades – to prepare the hovercraft for sale to our long-standing customer, the Pakistan Navy. We are proud of this collaboration and look forward to continuing our in-service support for both UK boats and the Pakistan Navy.”