Damen Shipyards Group has compiled a comprehensive summary of its worldwide shipbuilding activities regarding Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). The information shows that, with 5 vessels delivered in the last year, and 15 currently under construction, Damen has unrivalled experience in serving the naval industry with its OPV portfolio. Moreover, the company has proven its capability of completing complex naval projects in cooperation with local shipyards as well as in constructing vessels at its own yards. OPVs are playing an increasingly significant role in modern naval operations. They offer a versatile platform from which an extremely wide range of duties can be performed. OPVs allow Navies and Coastguards to carry out non-military duties like search and rescue, anti-smuggling operations and humanitarian support in a very cost-efficient way, but if necessary the OPVs can include conventional military activities such as anti-ship and anti-air warfare,” comments Damen Manager Design & Proposal, Piet van Rooij.
Recent deliveries. Looking back over the previous 12 months, Damen has delivered 5 Naval patrol/OPVs to navies around the world. These include 2 SIGMA 10514 vessels for the Indonesian Navy, 2 OPVs to the Middle East, and 1 Multi-role Aviation Training Vessel (OPV 2300) to the Royal Australian Navy. These deliveries show Damen’s commitment to cooperating with a client’s local shipbuilding industry, says Piet Van Rooij. “The two vessels for the Indonesian Navy, for example, were built from modules that were fabricated at a local yard in Indonesia as well as at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in the Netherlands. The final assembly took place in Indonesia in a process that signified a considerable amount of knowledge and technology transfer.”
Under construction. “We are currently building 15 OPVs; from 72 meters long to up to 123 meters long. They have a total length of more than 1,300 meters, and a total steel weight in excess of 15,000 tonnes. In terms of power, these vessels will be equipped with 56 main engines; providing more than 130,000 KW of power between them.” The construction of these 15 vessels illustrates Damen’s leading position in the area of local construction. “We are building 10 of these 15 vessels at local yards,“ Piet Van Rooij adds. “Our experience in local construction of specialized military vessels really is unparalleled.”
A cooperative process. A recent statement from the Secretary of the Mexican Navy, Admiral Soberón Sanz, mentioned that he very much appreciates the synergy created between the Mexican Navy and Damen during the execution of the Long Range Patrol Vessel project. Admiral Sanz went on to say that this synergy results in the creation of jobs in Mexico, while giving an impulse to the local maritime industry. In explaining the reasons behind Damen’s success in the global OPV market, Piet Van Rooij points to the knowledge possessed by, and the highly productive relationship between a number of the company’s subsidiaries. “Our naval vessel construction activities are backed up from numerous sides. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding has a history of building naval vessels of over 140 years. They provide expertise in military and combat systems, and naval classification regulations, as well as engineering skills. Damen Shipyards Gorinchem HQ also has an extensive design and engineering background. Their experience with high-speed crafts can be seen in the Sea Axe hull form that gives a number of our OPV designs their excellent sea-keeping behavior. And for clients wishing to build vessels locally, Damen Technical Cooperation presents clients with a thoroughly tried-and tested framework that includes everything from designs, materials and engineering packages to building assistance.”