Nigerian Navy`s 76-meter Offshore Patrol Vessel Launched
The first 76m OPV constructed by Dearsan for the Nigerian Navy was launched at the company’s Shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul on 26 October 2023 just 13 months after the keel laying ceremony that took place on September 16, 2022
On November 3, 2021, a contract was signed in Abuja between the Nigerian Navy and DEARSAN Gemi İnşaat Sanayi A.Ş. for the supply of two 76-meter Offshore Patrol Vessels.
The launching ceremony, held at DEARSAN's Tuzla facility, was attended by a Nigerian delegation led by Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu OGALLA, along with Vice President of the Defense Industry Agency Gökhan UÇAR, DEARSAN Chairman Aziz YILDIRIM, DEARSAN General Manager Murat GORDİ, and numerous esteemed guests.
The Offshore Patrol Vessels under construction for the Nigerian Navy have a range of primary missions, including maritime interception operations, surface and aerial surveillance, providing maritime fire support for land forces, special forces operations, search and rescue, intelligence, escort duties in Nigerian territorial waters, and safeguarding maritime economic activities including ports, platforms, and artificial islands. Additionally, they are equipped for secondary missions, which encompass countering asymmetric warfare, combating piracy, smuggling, drug trafficking, and participating in disaster relief operations according to Mr. Tahir CONKA, Business Development Manager of Dearsan.
While the Nigerian Offshore Patrol Vessel performs these missions in peacetime, it can be adapted into a potent warship during conflict by adding modular sensors and weapons. The OPV’s are 76.90 meters long, 11.90 meters wide with a draft of 3.60 meters. Their approximate displacement is 1,250 tons. The ships are powered by four MTU 20V 4000 M93 diesel engines in CODAD configuration with 2 Kongsberg CCP propellers. The OPVs will be able to operate at sea state 5 and will sail safely at sea state 6.
The maximum speed is 28 knots. The ships have a range of 2,500 nautical miles and can stay up to 16 days at sea. The crew is 48 persons.
The main armament is one Leonardo Oto Marlin 40mm gun. The other armament on board will be one Aselsan 30 mm Muhafız and two Aselsan 12.7 mm Stamp RCWS. There are also two manually control 12.7mm machine guns.
The vessel features a 2-D reconnaissance and surveillance radar, navigation radar, electro-optical director, advanced communication systems, and a combat management system, giving it the capabilities required to effectively fulfill its missions.
After the completion of the launching ceremony Vice Admiral Ogalla and his staff and other high-ranking officials and guests boarded the 57-meter patrol boat that Dearsan is also constructing for the Nigerian Navy and sailed around Tuzla approximately for one hour.
This boat with pennant number P-205 is based on the Tuzla class patrol boats Dearsan has built for the Turkish Navy.
This boat will be equipped with 2 Aselsan 30 mm Muhafız and 2 Aselsan STAMP RCWS as armament. There will be one navigation radar one Aselsan Kırlangıç E/O sensor, ECDIS, dipping sonar, combat management system. The scheduled delivery date for the P-205 is in Q1 of 2024.
Dearsan, established in Türkiye in 1980, is a prominent shipyard that has constructed over 120 commercial and military vessels since its inception. In 2007, Dearsan made history by becoming the first private shipyard to design and build Türkiye's inaugural warship through a successful bid in the tender for 16 57-meter Patrol Vessels commissioned by the Defense Industry Agency. Subsequently, Dearsan achieved another milestone by exporting warships to the Turkmenistan Navy, producing over 40 ships at its Turkmenistan shipyard, with lengths ranging from 15 to 92 meters. Notably, the 92-meter corvette, delivered last year, stands as Türkiye's first and only corvette built by a private shipyard and is equipped with weapons and sensors that classify it as a light frigate
