Cutters

The three Coast Guard cutters, the JAGUAR, the PANTER and POEMA, are Damen Stan 4100 patrol vessels.^[9] They are designed for service in the coastal waters of the Caribbean islands. The cutters are suitable for carrying out all coast guard tasks. With the onboard RHIB, boarding operations can be performed. The cutter is over 41 metres (135 ft) long, has a crew of eleven and a speed exceeding 26 knots (48 km/h).

Each boat has radar, infrared cameras, night vision binoculars, an ion scanner, a fixed 12.7 mm machine gun and a rotatable water cannon. Furthermore, they are equipped with photographic and video equipment to collect evidence.^[10] In February 2026 it was reported that DCCG will acquire three new cutters based on the Damen Stan Patrol FCS5009 design to be delivered in 2028 supplemented with 4 Damen Fast Intercepters 1102 able to reach speeds in excess of 50 knots.^[11] The three new coast guard cutters will be larger than their predecessors and have more modern sensors.^[12]

METAL SHARK 38 DEFIANTS

The company Metal Shark builds special ships for military and police purposes, and the 38 Defiant is the name of the type that is being used. The twelve Metal Sharks are an interception vessel which is used to patrol the territorial waters. They have a slip cabin and a completely closed wheelhouse, which protects the coast guard during all weather conditions, providing them with an unobstructed view day & night.^{[citation needed]}

AgustaWestland AW139

The DCCG employs two AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters for high speed chase, and search and rescue operations. The AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters are stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Hato and will be replaced by AgustaWestland AW189 rotorcraft.^[13] These helicopters are operated on a long-term contract basis by the Bristow Helicopters division of the Bristow Group, a worldwide commercial helicopter operator.^[14]

Bombardier Dash 8

Since the autumn of 2007, the DCCG has two Bombardier Dash 8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (designated MPA-D8). These planes are built to the specific needs of DCCG, based on required Coast Guard tasks such as search and rescue, and fisheries and environmental monitoring. These two Dash 8 turboprop aircraft are equipped with modern day and night capabilities in order to obtain optimal results in the performance of their duties. These resources include specially designed hatches for dropping life rafts and drift / marker buoys, a high power searchlight in the nose of the aircraft with the aim to see and be seen in search situations, radar, and a communication and interlink software system. All these resources make the Dash 8 an ideal airplane in a coordinating role between various units and the RCC. Besides these functions, both Dash 8s can be deployed before, during and after hurricane passages to move people and resources to those areas that need help. For these missions, the Dash 8s can be converted into transport aircraft configurations.^{[citation needed]}

West Indies Guard Ship

The West Indies Guard Ship (WIGS) is a ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy that rotates about every six months. It can be a frigate but more commonly one of the Navy's Holland-class offshore patrol vessels is deployed to the region.^[15][16] This vessel usually carries an NHIndustries NH90 helicopter for search and rescue tasks and pursuit of suspect vessels.^[17]

A special boarding team from the U.S. Coast Guard can be embarked on board the WIGS, authorized to carry out boardings beyond the territorial waters of the Dutch Caribbean islands. This cooperation between Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, Sint Maarten, the United States, and other actors is formalized in the Joint Interagency Task Force South, situated in Key West, Florida, United States.^{[citation needed]}

Ranks

Officer ranks

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1
Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard v t e
													Kapitein der 1ste klasse		Kapitein		Stuurman der 1ste klasse		Stuurman

Enlisted ranks

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard v t e
	Opperschipper								Schipper		Bootsman												Kwartiermeester						Vol matroos der 1e klasse			Vol matroos			Matroos	Licht matroos