A second offshore patrol boat for the Irish Naval Service has been put afloat by Britain's Babcock International for final outfitting, trials and commissioning.

The 295-foot James Joyce, now 92 percent complete, is capable of a top speed of 23 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 15 knots on a single engine.

Other features include a comprehensive command, control and communications package, a 76mm gun, two 20mm cannons and four general purpose machine guns. It also has configurable mission modules.

"We are delighted to have achieved this important and highly visible milestone to quality, budget and schedule, demonstrating our innovation and capability in this field," said Babcock Shipbuilding Director Andrew Hamilton. "We will now be focusing on completion of the program, ready for sea trials and then handover of a further highly capable OPV to the Irish Naval Service on-time and in-budget in early 2015.

"Work is also now underway on the third OPV, with first steel cut in September this year and keel laying scheduled for April 2015."

The OPV was put afloat at the company's Appledore shipyard in North Devon.

Babcock was contracted to build two OPVs by Ireland's Department of Defense in 2010. An option for a third vessel was exercised last June.

In other naval news, Navantia of Spain reports it has launched the ninth of 12 LLC fast landing craft it is building for the Royal Australian Navy under a 2011 contract.

The craft has an overall length of about 75.5 feet, a speed of more than 20 knots and a range of 190 miles while carrying a full load of cargo and equipment.

Navantia, which has opened an Australian subsidiary, says all 12 fast landing craft for Australia will be delivered next year.