A small patrol boat donated by the United States to the then Malta Land Force in 1971 is expected to head back to the US this year to become a memorial.

P-24, along with P-23, is still in regular use by the AFM, the last in-service examples of the Swift class of inshore patrol boats built at the time of the Vietnam war.

The American Swift Boat Sailors' Association (SBSA) last year submitted a request through the US embassy to be given one of the boats.

P-23 and P-24 will be decomissioned in a few weeks time, along with a Bremse-class patrol boat. They will be replaced by four brand new Austal class boats, built in Australia to AFM requirements. They arrived in Malta on a cargo ship last night. Their commissioning ceremony is expected to take place next month.

The SBSA would like one of the Swift boats to serve as a memorial to fallen sailors during operations in South-East Asia.

It is understood that the AFM would like to retain P-23 and possibly use it as 'gate-guard' for its maritime base at Haywharf. It would also be a memorial to the seven soldiers and policemen killed on board in a fireworks explosion 25 years ago.

The United States has been helping the AFM in various way including through officers' training and the provision of equipment. It also helped Malta acquire two Protector class patrol boats.