On May 7, 2026, the Ecuadorian Navy commissioned BAE Jambelí (MP-56), formerly Korean Coast Guard vessel KCG-3001 and lead ship of the Tae Pyung Yang-class. It is now the Ecuador’s largest and most capable offshore patrol vessel.
On May 7, 2026, the Ecuadorian Navy (Armada del Ecuador) formally commissioned BAE Jambelí (MP-56) during a ceremony at Puerto Bolívar, marking the introduction of one of the country’s most capable offshore patrol vessels (OPV) and the largest ship currently in the fleet. Previously operated by the Korean Coast Guard as KCG-3001, the lead vessel of the Tae Pyung Yang-class, the ship departed the Republic of Korea on January 2 for a 62-day transoceanic voyage to Ecuador which ended in May 5 when it arrived in Ecuadorian waters.
The ship served for three decades before being decommissioned in March 2024. Ecuador acquired the patrol vessel with the formal transfer completed in April of that year. Before entering Ecuadorian service, the ship underwent modernization work and received a new paint scheme tailored to its future operational role within the Ecuadorian Navy. Ecuadorian personnel also received operational and technical training in South Korea prior to the vessel’s delivery.
The commissioning ceremony drew considerable national attention and underscored the importance of the acquisition for Ecuador’s maritime security strategy. The event was presided over by the Commander General of the Navy, Admiral Ricardo Unda Serrano, and was attended by the distinguished presence of the President of the Republic, Mr. Daniel Noboa Azin, the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Gian Carlo Loffredo Rendón, the Head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, General of the Army Henry Delgado Salvador, as well as several civil and military authorities.
The Tae Pyung Yang-class OPV
The Tae Pyung Yang (“Pacific”) class represents the Korea Coast Guard’s 3,000-ton patrol vessel category and is second in size only to the agency’s two 5,000-ton Sam Bong-class ships. Built to naval construction standards, the class is regarded as highly survivable and well suited for demanding offshore operations.
Hull numbers within the series begin with “3000,” reflecting the ships’ approximate empty displacement. The lead vessel carried the pennant number 3001, while the final unit commissioned in the original production run received the designation 3015 in 2015. Between 2020 and 2023, two additional vessels of a modified configuration entered service.
Commissioned in South Korea in 1994, KCG-3001 was the first of an initially 13-ship class developed in several variants with differing displacement and equipment configurations.
EL BAE JAMBELÍ YA ESTÁ OFICIALMENTE INCORPORADO A LA ARMADA DEL ECUADOR
Hoy es un día histórico para el país. Hoy se llevó a cabo con gran solemnidad la Ceremonia de Incorporación del BAE Jambelí (MP-56) a la Armada del Ecuador.
El acto fue presidido por el Comandante General… pic.twitter.com/ViTOPvCMfW
