The second 76-meter High Endurance Offshore Patrol Vessel, built for the Nigerian Navy in DEARSAN Shipyard, Turkey, was launched by the wife of Nigeria’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. This was announced in a statement signed by the Director of Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, on Friday, April 19, 2024.
According to Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, whose statement was quoted in the release, the construction of the two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) commenced in 2022. He further stated that the launch of the 76-meter High Endurance OPV marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding her territorial waters and combating maritime threats.
He said, “DEARSAN Shipyard is constructing 2 OPVs for the NN and the first OPV was launched here on October 26, 2023. I am particularly pleased that the milestones on the vessel construction have been met and I hereby appreciate the management of DEARSAN Shipyard for their efforts so far.”
The general specifications of the newly launched OPV are as follows: 76.90m in length, 11.90m in width, 3.60m draught, 28 knots in speed. The Propulsion System is Combined Diesel and Diesel, and the range is 2500 nm with a 16-day endurance and 47 crew capacity.
The construction of the vessel will boost NN fleet renewal efforts for the fulfilment of her constitutional mandate and ensure maximum presence at sea to curb illicit acts such as oil theft, piracy, sea robbery, illegal fishery as well as smuggling of small arms and light weapons among other crimes in the vast 84,000 sq nm of Nigeria’s maritime environment.
