VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has reached agreement to supply additional ambulance boats to the Hellenic Coastguard, after a formal contract signing with Greece’s Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy.

The latest deal, signed by Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Mr. Giannis Plakiotakis on May 28, covers delivery of five VIKING Norsafe Munin-S1200 boats to support emergency services for Sporades, Samothrace, the Saronic Gulf and the Ionian Islands. It follows on from VIKING’s previous delivery of three identical boats, which are stationed in Naxos, Rhodes and Leros in the Aegean sea.

“The Hellenic Coast Guard carries patients by ambulance boat almost every day and plays a decisive role in saving lives,” says John Georgiadis, General Manager for VIKING in Greece. “It is critical that these boats meet the exacting requirements of the National Center for Emergency Health Care (EKAB) and the Coast Guard for high-performance and low-maintenance to ensure Emergency Support operations day and night, in all weather conditions.”

Manufactured in Greece, the Munin-S1200 is the largest boat currently offered by VIKING and has capacity to carry 10 persons, all seated. Its 1,150-liter fuel tank supports a range greater than 350 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 35 knots. The S1200 is equipped with twin sterndrive VOLVO PENTA diesel engines supplies a combined 760hp to enable a top speed of 45 knots at full load.

Certified by RINA (Registro Italiano Navale), the boat operates safely up to Beaufort force 8 and at a wave height up to 4m. It also features latest generation, Lowrance-branded navigational equipment from Navico.

“The VIKING Norsafe Munin-S1200S is a flexible boat chosen for performance and maneuverability by a wide variety of users,” says Mr. Georgiadis. “In this application, its installed shock mitigation technology is proving especially important in ensuring safe patient transport and allow high-quality medical services to be provided in transit. VIKING is delighted that the S-1200 is playing a central role in healthcare provision for the Greek islands.”