Vestdavit to supply another batch of French Navy vessels

Marine davit manufacturer Vestdavit has secured a contract with shipbuilder Socarenam to supply fast rescue boat davit systems for six offshore patrol vessels for the French Navy.

The 80-metre-long ships will serve as part of the navy’s POM programme, providing surveillance and protection for France’s extensive exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which includes parts of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

Currently under construction at the Socarenam yard in Saint Malo, the offshore patrol vessels are due for delivery between 2022 and 2025, and will be homeported in pairs in New Caledonia, Réunion Island and French Polynesia.

Each of the six diesel-electric POM ships will deploy one PLD-5000 fast rescue boat davit system to enable fast launch and rescue operations in waters surrounding French overseas territories.

“Because France’s EEZ is so widely distributed, the Navy’s POM vessels are built for varying and unpredictable conditions – and their davits need to match this level of flexibility,” Redouane Lahsen, Vestdavit Area Sales Manager, said.

Lahsen further explained that the A-frame, single-point solution was specially designed to support the launch and recovery of larger boats weighing as much as five tonnes, and that its automated painter boom allows safe handling up to sea state 5.

The latest agreement is said to ensure business continuity, reinforcing Vestdavit’s seven-year relationship with Socarenam and expanding its presence in France. It also represents the Bergen-based company’s second collaboration with the French Navy this year.

In April, Vestdavit won a tender from Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply davit systems for four new logistic support ships (LSSs) ordered by the French Navy. The replenishment ships are being built under the French Flotte Logistique (FLOTLOG) program.