Revenue has officially launched its new Customs Cutter, Cosaint, at a naming and commissioning ceremony in Kinsale, Co Cork.
As Afloat reported yesterday, the vessel was commissioned in 2023 and delivered in August 2025. It will enter full operational service in the coming weeks.
Cosaint will replace R.C.C. Suirbhéir, in service since 2004, and will operate alongside R.C.C. Faire as part of Revenue’s maritime fleet.
The Cutter will be operated by Revenue’s Maritime Unit, which patrols Ireland’s 3,173-kilometre coastline. The crew has spent the past eight weeks on sea trials, familiarisation manoeuvres and active patrol exercises.
Customs Cutter Cosaint quayside at her naming and commissioning ceremony in Kinsale, County Cork.
Chairman Niall Cody said Revenue’s enforcement teams “have made more than 35,000 seizures of illegal drugs, amounting to 110 tonnes, and with an estimated value of over €650 million” since January 2023.
On the bridge of the Customs Cutter Cosaint
He added that the procurement of Cosaint shows “the State’s ongoing commitment to targeting illicit trade, smuggling and organised crime in the maritime domain”.
Commissioner Maura Kiely said the results reflect “the hard work and dedication” of the enforcement teams. She highlighted the role of the Maritime Unit, which “operate in challenging and difficult environments”.
Crew on deck of the of the Customs Cutter Cosaint
She said cooperation with national and international agencies, including Joint Task Force partners, is “key to disrupting supply chains in drug trafficking”.
At 35 metres in length and 204 gross tonnes, Cosaint has a range of more than 750 nautical miles and a top speed of 18 knots. Revenue says it is highly manoeuvrable and will enhance patrol and smuggling interdiction capability across EU external borders.
The Cutter was built by the Armon Group in Spain. The company has previously delivered vessels for international law enforcement.
Ricardo Garcia, Commercial Director of Armon Group, said the launch marked “the culmination of several years of rigorous planning, construction and sea trials”.
He said Cosaint was delivered “on budget and ahead of schedule” and is equipped with “sophisticated navigational and surveillance systems” to support enforcement in an “energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable manner”.
The vessel cost €8.75 million plus VAT. It was funded by the Exchequer and a grant from OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office, through the EU Anti-Fraud Programme
