On 10 March 2012, after successful sea trials and finishing of outfitting details, SIGMA Class Frigate, Sultan Moulay Ismail, built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in Vlissingen, was transferred to the Royal Moroccan Navy.
The ship was delivered, on schedule and meeting all the requirements as stated in the contract, to the full satisfaction of the customer.
The delivery of the second of three frigates was achieved within four years from the effective date of contract. The first frigate Tarik Ben Zayid was commissioned on 10 September 2011, the third frigate for the Royal Moroccan Navy is well underway.
After commissioning, the crew will continue with another three weeks of Sail Safety Training in Den Helder and North Sea. This training will be conducted by training teams of the Royal Netherlands Navy. At the beginning of April, after conclusion of this training period, frigate Sultan Moulay Ismail will start her maiden voyage to Morocco.
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 Royal Moroccan Navy SIGMA Class frigates are equipped to conduct the traditional naval tasks as well as maritime security operations. The vessels are also suited to support humanitarian aid operations.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , March 13, 2012; Image: damen