OPV set for October delivery
23rd August 2016 - 12:30 by Richard Thomas in London
French shipbuilders OCEA launched a Type 190 Mk2 OPV last month and the vessel, destined for an as yet unnamed West African country, is currently being fitted out ahead of a future delivery.
The vessel was floating at the Les Sables d’Olonne facility on 21 July following the awarding in 2013 of a contract to purchase an ocean capable patrol vessel to monitor national EEZ. OCEA themselves specialise in the design and construction of aluminium-hulled patrol vessels up to 85m in length.
The Type 190 Mk2 is powered by two MTU 16V 4000 engines with twin-fixed propellers, in addition to a bow thruster, and is capable of 24kt at full load. At 58m in length the vessel and 24-person crew can stay at sea for up to three weeks and embark a further 32 passengers.
The multi-purpose vessel is capable of maritime police and patrol missions, fisheries surveillance, counter smuggling and trafficking, SAR and multilateral exercises at sea.
Due to enter service with the navy of a West Africa country, the contract for OCEA followed a restricted international consultation challenging Chinese and French shipyards for the programme.
A senior OCEA official told Shephard that progress on the vessel was ‘in accordance with the agreed timetable’ and will be delivered in October this year.
The waters off the western coast of Africa remain dangerous for merchant traffic transiting the region or loitering at anchorages. Numerous instances of piracy or robbery at sea have hit the region in recent years, although countries are putting resources into the training of naval and coast guard personnel and procuring new platforms.
Meanwhile, exactEarth has recently been selected by the Fisheries Commission (West Africa Fisheries Programme) – an agency of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) in Ghana – for the provision of satellite AIS and small vessel tracking solutions.
The contract has been valued at up to $2 million for a 12-month period to enable Ghana to acquire the capability to monitor its coastlines and deter illegal fishing.
Along with a comprehensive satellite AIS data feed, exactEarth will provide MOFAD with 450 Class B AIS transceivers to be installed on inshore fishing vessels which will be tracked via satellite utilising the exactTrax small vessel tracking technology.
Earth ShipView will be upgraded to include a SOS alerting facility in an effort to support Ghana’s government and its SOLAS initiative. The company will work with an in-country partner and academic institutions to provide vessel movement analysis.
https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/imps-news/opv-delivery-set-october/abraços