The 105 mtrs long SIGMA class frigate, built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding for the Royal Moroccan Navy, left Vlissingen on the 6th of May for her sea acceptance trials in the North Sea, right on schedule as agreed in the contract.
During the SAT, an extensive program will be carried out in which the platform as well as the sensor weapons and communications suite will be tested.
The second frigate of 98 mtrs is scheduled for sea trials at the end of 2011 as the third frigate, also 98 mtrs, is still under construction at the Damen yard in Vlissingen, to be launched in September this year.
SIGMA
The three SIGMA-class frigates for the Royal Moroccan Navy have been designed according to Schelde Naval Shipbuilding’s revolutionary SIGMA-approach and are a further development of the SIGMA-corvettes for the Indonesian Navy. The SIGMA approach applies modularity in many areas.
The Moroccan SIGMA Class frigates equipped to conduct the traditional naval tasks as well as maritime security operations. The vessels are also suited to support humanitarian aid operations. [mappress] SSource: DamenNaval, May 12, 2011.