Navantia Launches Two Ships For Venezuela
(Source: Navantia; dated June 24, web-posted June 29, 2009)
On 24th June, Navantia launched, at the San Fernando-Puerto Real shipyard, the first of four Economic Zone Patrol Boat (PVOZEE) and the third of four offshore patrol boats (OPV’s) that are being built for the Venezuelan Navy.
The vessels were named “Caribe” and “Naiguatá” and were christened by Dinorah Villasmil de Mata and Alma Pura Blanco de Padrón.
Attending the ceremony were, among others, the Vice-chairman of SEPI, Federico Montero, and the San Fernando-Puerto Real shipyard's General Manager, Fernando Miguélez.
The PVOZEE has a length of 98.90 meters, a displacement of 2,200 tonnes and a maximum speed of 25 knots. The missions are the control of the economic exclusive zone, search and rescue and also anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
The OPV has a length overall of 79.90 metres and the capacity to displace 1,500 tonnes and reach a maximum speed of 22 knots. These ships will be able to carry out a wide variety of missions such as coastal surveillance and protection, protection of maritime traffic, health assistance to other ships, external firefighting, the fight and control of marine pollution, transport of personnel and provisions, search and rescue operations, rapid intervention, frogmen support, surface defence and passive electronic warfare.
The contract for these eight patrol boats, whose construction will mean 5 million work hours (1,456,900 for Navantia and 3,580,700 for auxiliary industry), was signed on 28 November 2005.
Their deliveries are scheduled to take place between October 2009 and July 2011.
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