Damen lays keel for first of two Pakistan Navy OPVs

Dutch shipbuilder Damen recently hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the first of two Pakistan Navy offshore patrol vessels at its shipyard in Galati, Romania.

The ceremony was attended by Pakistan Navy Rear Admiral Farrokh Ahmad, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Projects), other navy officials and Damen representatives.

Pakistan and Damen signed a contract for the construction of two OPVs in June 2017.

Contrary to earlier announcements which said Pakistani shipbuilder Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Ltd. would be involved in OPV construction, both vessels will be built in Romania.

The OPVs built for Pakistan will have a displacement of around 1900 tons and an overall length of 90 meters. Pakistan Navy OPV specifications do not precisely match those found on OPV models offered by Damen. The Dutch company’s official offering includes the larger OPV 2400 and a slightly smaller OPV 1800.

According to photos shared by the Pakistan Navy, offshore patrol vessels built for Pakistan are designated as OPV 1900. The vessels will be suited for anti surface, anti air operations, maritime security operations (MSO), day & night helicopter operations, combat search and rescue (CSAR) and surveillance and intelligence gathering.