Navy Recognition is showing a photo of a model of a new corvette being built by Bollinger’s partner Damen for the Vietnamese Navy. The ships is the right size, 98 meters long and 14 meters of beam (321 ft x 46 ft).
We already discussed the fact that Damen had built an OPC sized ship for the Vietnamese counterpart of the USCG.
The photo even looks a little like the ships in this earlier illustration from Bollinger. The reported dimensions of the new Vietnamese vessel also correspond to the dimensions given for Damen’s 2600 ton OPV.
An interesting feature is how well armed this Vietnamese Corvette will apparently be. This bodes well for potential upgrades to the OPC. Quoting Navy Recognition:
the new SIGMA 9814 class will be fitted with:
8x MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3
12x MBDA MICA VL surface-to-air missiles (in VLS)
1x Oto Melara 76mm main gun
2x Oto Melara MARLIN-WS 30mm gun mounts
The corvette will acomodate one anti-submarine helicopters Ka-28. The corvettes are set to receive the latest generation of electronics and sensors from Thales including TACTICOS combat management system,SMART-S Mk 2 radar and STING EO Mk 2 electro-optical fire control system.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I would not be surprised if the US Coast guard uses the same design that the Vietnam Coast Guard is using.
It may be similar to the Vietnamese OPV but it will definitely be different because the Vietnamese vessel does not meet OPC specs. We could say the same thing about the new Vietnamese Corvette, but because it is a later design, it may be closer to what was proposed for the OPC. Kind of surprising that there was no information on the new Corvette’s speed, but it will probably be higher than for the OPC, while the OPC will probably have more range and obviously fewer weapons.
I think the one Vietnam is getting is the version called the DAMEN OPV 2600, it might be the one the USCG is considering as well
More photos here:
http://congnghequocphong.blogspot.ru/2014/02/can-canh-tau-ho-ve-ten-lua-sigma-9814.html
Looking at the photos above, it appears the actual dimensions are 99.91×14.02×3.75 meters or 327.7x46x12.3 feet.
slightly ot but if you read Bath’s newsletter for last month, they have a page on their OPC work on page 9:
Click to access 7937_BIWFebNews_LR.pdf
Thanks, looks like they are using the prospect of the OPC contract as encouragement to do well on the DDG work. Bath has a great reputation as a destroyer builder, and these are WWII destroyer sized ships. Nice sidebar about the Bath built 165s too.
Why would Bollinger even think of taking responsibility for ruining the 123s and almost killing those crews if these elected officials and the US Coast Guard themselves keep giving them contracts?
Our government is teaching them how to treat us.
Post 9/11 Bollinger used thin steel to make known weak patrol boats to save money. The DoJ has internal Bollinger emails where they discuss falsifying the design calculations to cover that up. No one in jail and not only has Bollinger never paid for the 123s they have received hundreds of millions since. Bollinger is deplorable. The elected representatives are true to form. But the USCG, who continues to roll over, is way beyond that. And by the way – there was a performance guaranty on that contract. The USCG never even tried to exercise it to recover the taxpayer’s money. Nope. Instead they are asking for billions more to cover the Deepwater fiasco and companies like Bollinger.
Story here on Damen and its relationships with US shipbuilders, including Bollinger, as well as Great Lakes Shipyard, Metal Shark Aluminum Boats, Blount Boats, Gulf Coast Shipyard Group, Horizon Shipbuilding and Derecktor Shipyards. http://www.marinelink.com/news/across-hands-water389525.aspx
Damen designs already used in the 87 foot Marine Protector and the 154 foot Webber class. One of three designs still in contention for the OPC, and a likely contender to replace the 87 foot WPBs when that becomes necessary.
The Damen OPV 2600 2 axe bow has a reported top speed of 26 knots and great sea keeping ability. Can you imagine the 210′ replacement being almost 10 knots faster? If the CG doesn’t compromise too much on the electronic suite and keeps the fire control and air search radars the new OPC could turn out to be one of the best cutters the CG has ever had in terms of speed, endurance and situational awareness. I’m hoping.
On the 378s we rarely went above 18 knots because the turbines sucked up fuel so fast. My two years on Midgett we had one fairly long period on one turbine, but don’t think we ever had periods of more than an hour both.
The useful speed of the OPCs should be a lot higher because it will all be done on diesel.
I served in the USS Enterprise, the USS Benjamin Stoddert, the CGC Duane, the CGC Midgett and the CGC Morro Bay. The Midgett was by far my favorite ship. I have a lot of fond memories. The only time I remember spending any appreciable time on both turbines was a fleet exercise with the Navy off of southern California. To stand on the fan tail and watch the rooster tail was awesome.
Maybe you recognize Duane, In its early WWII configuration, as my avatar.
I did recognize the Duane. I first saw that photo on a web site called “Combat Cutters”. The 327s were fantastic ships. The Duane was the best rough water riding ship I ever served in. As you probably noticed the Midgett is my avatar.
Yes and Midgett is pre-FRAM with a 5″, the way I remember her.
Repaired a link that had been lost on the original post to Damen’s 2600 ton OPV. It has some art work in Coast Guard colors toward the bottom of the page.
http://products.damen.com/en/ranges/offshore-patrol-vessel/offshore-patrol-vessel-2600
while I have commissioned a Bollinger built ship and I like damon designed ships, I think uscg should spread the gravy, I am bath biased but are we going to rely on one shipyard to build all our less then hec ships?
The EXACT same leadership in place now building the FRCs and going after the OPCs is the one who wanted to build 49 123’s with weak hulls to save money. All 8 of the first produced buckled in benign seas. They recently settled for $8.5M. A drop in the bucket. These folks had no problem lying to the USCG and putting crews lives at risk.
yes we know , as you so often remind us, but not really where I was going.
Of course. Few go there which is the problem. This kind of things happen because so many roll over and take it. But no problem right – the cutter looks cool. This ex-Navy guy who was driven to bankruptcy for defending the USCG will keep bringing up the worn out record while you and the folks in the USCG who benefited from what I did or who even fought me and helped put their own people at risk to help ICGS put their own people at risk move forward undaunted. Including a nice retirement.