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Damen Shipyards Cape Town delivered the first of three multi-mission inshore patrol vessels to the South African Navy at the Simons Town Naval Base.
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Built over four years, the vessel is intended to enhance the nation’s security against illegal trafficking, piracy and fishing.
The rapid and cost-effective patrol boats feature containerised mission modules to enable them to undertake diverse multi-mission capabilities.
The MMIPV is expected to create over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs at Damen Shipyard Cape Town, generating more than a million man-hours of work.
“The delivery is a significant milestone in the story of Damen Shipyards Cape Town. It is the first time that a naval vessel of this calibre has been built at the yard and it is also the first of its class! Despite the COVID 19 pandemic, this beautiful vessel has been built to the required quality level which is an achievement that was realised by South African people, as most of the work and materials that went into the construction were sourced locally,” Sam Montsi, chairman of the Damen Shipyards Cape Town Board said.
“The yard has significantly grown during this process both in the quality of work and the safety standards achieved. This project has also allowed the yard to increase the impact of its transformation strategy by consistently delivering relevant development to the communities of South Africa.”
The company confirmed that work is continuing on the additional vessels, with handover expected in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
This announcement comes months after Damen launched their new LST 100 for the Nigerian Navy at Albwardy Damen in Sharjah, UAE.
On completion, the 100-metre, roll-on-roll-off landing ship will have the capacity to accommodate a crew of 32 and 250 Embarked Marine Forces personnel.
The vessel also has deck space for vehicles, a helicopter/UAV deck and significant space for cargo, which can be loaded via both a stern and a bow ramp or using the 25-tonne main crane.
These and other capabilities are designed to enhance the Nigerian Navy’s ability to deploy troops and military hardware and vehicles in support of maritime security operations, as well as the supply of relief material in the event of disasters or other crises.
[Relatively: Nigerian Navy launches new Damen landing ship transport}
