West Sea Shipyards launches Portuguese Navy Viana do Castelo-class OPV ‘Setubal’

NRP Setubal, the fourth Portuguese Navy Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), was launched on September 13 at West Sea Shipyards.

The vessel is expected to join the navy by June 2018 replacing one of the remaining Baptista de Andrade or João Coutinho-class corvettes.

West Sea Shipyards was contracted to build vessels number three and four, while the first two – NRP Viana do Castelo (P360) and NRP Figueira da Foz (P361) – were built by Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo.

The third OPV, NRP Sines (P362), was launched in 2017 and is still under construction set to join the Navy in February 2018.

The armament of the new OPVs consists of a 30mm Oto Melara Marlin gun, two 7.62 mm lmg gun mounts as well as two launching systems for MK55 Mod 2 mines.

These vessels are designed to operate unmanned systems and are equipped with a single Sagem SA Vigy 10 MKIII naval surveillance and observation platform, three water cannons, and two rigid inflatable boats.

NRP Setubal will have a flight deck able to operate a Super Lynx MK95 light helicopter, however no hangar facilities are included.

This is the last OPV to be built under the contract signed in 2015 between the Portuguese government and the West Sea Shipyards.