France: Steel cut for OPV with wind-assisted propulsion

September 22, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

Socarenam-Mauric consortium has cut the steel for an offshore patrol vessel with wind-assisted propulsion being built for the French Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (DGAMPA).

Following the tender win in December 2024 and the official announcement in January 2025, the New Generation Maritime Affairs Patrol Vessel (PAM) project, featuring wind-assisted propulsion, has reached a new milestone.

On September 18, 2025, the first steel cutting occurred at the Socarenam shipyard, symbolizing the transition from the design phase to active construction of the vessel.

The commencement of first steel cutting marks the concrete beginning of fabrication, thereby maintaining the construction schedule for delivery planned in the second half of 2027.

With a length of 54 meters, this offshore patrol vessel is designed for extended 12-day missions with a crew of 20 persons. It is equipped with two launch and recovery systems for 6.50-meter fast semi-rigid inflatable boats capable of intercepting at a speed of up to 35 knots to endure its offshore missions.

The main missions will include:

Protection of national interests;
Maritime fisheries surveillance and control;
Environmental regulations compliance;
Pollution and navigation monitoring;
Assistance to persons,
Public service missions and representation of the French Maritime Affairs Administration.

MAURIC’s team of naval architects and marine engineers has completed the detailed arrangement study of the vessel, including an optimization loop for optimal sail positioning. This phase also enabled the finalization of active and passive stabilization systems development, through seakeeping calculations carried out to optimize the anti-roll tank with free surface effects and active fin stabilizers.