OPV 58 S from PIRIOU

Two posts from Naval News. French shipbuilders are doing well in the patrol vessel market.

First, “The Ministry of Armed Forces of Senegal and French shipbuilder PIRIOU signed November 17 a procurement contract for three OPV 58 S for the Navy of Senegal. The vessels will be fitted with missile systems, a first for this African navy.”

Second, “The Government of Ukraine gave its green light for the procurement of 20 FPB 98 patrol vessels made by French shipyard OCEA.”

The Senegalese OPVs:

The ships for Senegal fall into that class significantly larger than the Webber class, but significantly smaller than the OPCs. They will be even a little smaller than the 210s. It would be at the lower end of a type, I have called cutter X, vessels with a crew and equipment similar to that of a Webber class FRC, but with better sea keeping and longer endurance. Specifications are:

• Length: 62.20 meters (204′)
• Width: 9.50 meters (31.2′)
• Draft: 2.90 meters (9.5′)
• Speed: 21 knots
• Range / Endurance: 25 days, 4,500 nautical miles @ 12 knots
• Hull / Structure: Steel / Aluminum
• Accommodations: 48 (24 crew + 24 mission personnel)
• Stern ramp for two RHIBs

For an Offshore Patrol Vessel, it is very well armed with:

• A 76mm main gun on the Foc’sle
• 4x Marte MK2/N anti-ship missiles forward, between the gun and the bridge
• 2x 12.7mm manned manchine guns on the bridge wings
• 2x 20mm remote weapon stations (Narwhal by Nexter) at the back of the bridge
• A SIMBAD-RC surface to air system

The Marte MK2/N missile weighs 310 kg (682#) and is 3.85 metres (12.6′) long. The warhead weighs 70 kilogram (154 pound). The missile, has “an effective range in excess of 30 km, is a fire and forget, all weather sea skimming missile with inertial mid-course navigation through way points and active radar terminal homing. These missiles give these boats a range almost double that of the 57mm or 76mm guns.

SIMRAD-RC is a remote weapons station for launch of two Mistral missiles. Developed as a shoulder launched, Man Portable Air Defense (MANPAD) system, Mistral is a short ranged (6km) IR homing missile. It is claimed to be capable against a range of air targets as well as small surface targets.

Ukrainean OCEA FPB 98 patrol boat:

OCEA FPB 98 patrol boat (Credit: OCEA)

This is a deal, we discussed in July, when it appeared likely. I will repeat the description here.

They have a GRP hull and are powered by two 3,660 HP Caterpillar diesels using waterjets. Specs for vessels of this type sold to Algeria.

• Displacement: 100 tons
• Length: 31.8 meters (104’4″)
• Beam: 6.3 meters (20’8″)
• Draft: 1.2 meters (3’11”)
• Speed: 30 knots
• Range: 900 nmi @ 14 knots
• Crew: 13

They will probably be equipped with a 20 to 30mm gun.