Turkish shipbuilding company Dearsan Shipyard has held a keel laying ceremony for two high-endurance offshore patrol vessels being built for the Nigerian Navy.
As informed, the event took place on 16 September at the company’s shipyard in Turkey. The keel for the new OPVs was authenticated by Nigerian Defence Minister Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi and Nigerian Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo .
“The HE OPVs, are configured in line with the Nigerian Navy requirements, which are designed and built entirely in the shipyard’s facilities and will be equipped wit h modern systems,” Gambo stated.
The Nigerian Navy signed a contract for the 76-meter-long OPVs with Dearsan Shipyard in November 2021.
The ships will be deployed to project naval power within the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), to enhance global maritime security.
They will conduct search and rescue operations, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, and anti-drug trafficking operations and disaster relief operations.
The units are slated for delivery to the Nigerian Navy in the next three years.