Naval Group floats out final OPV built for Argentine Navy

The last of the four offshore patrol vessels (OPV 87), A.R.A. Contraalmirante Cordero, which was built by Naval Group for the Argentine Navy has been launched in Concarneau.

The launching ceremony of the 87-meter long vessel took place on 21 September. This launch is part of the contract signed by Naval Group with Argentina in 2018 to provide four multi-mission offshore patrol vessels.

A.R.A. Bouchard (ex-L’Adroit) was delivered in December 2019 and A.R.A. Piedrabuena inApril 2021. A.R.A.Storni was launched on 10 May 2021 and will be delivered next October, in accordance with the original contractual schedule.

“The vessels already delivered are currently in operation on an almost permanent basis and allow the Argentinean Navy to carry out the operations essential to the defence of Argentina’s sovereign interests,” Olivier Michel, Vice-president Sales for Latin America, said.

The last vessel of the series will offer the same assets and characteristics as the A.R.A. Piedrabuena and Storni. It features an optimised motorised system, an active stabilisation system and a bow thruster. It is also “Ice proven”, i.e. adapted to navigation in the cold waters of Antarctica.

The offshore patrol vessels are able to stay on deep seas during more than three weeks, to reach a speed of 20 knots and to accommodate a helicopter.

This range of ships also benefits from Naval Group’s expertise in information and command systems, allowing for extensive surveillance of the maritime space and the detection of suspicious behaviours. The A.R.A. Contraalmirante Cordero is equipped with the Polaris system and NiDL tactical data link system, specifically developed by Naval Group for state missions at sea and seaproven by the French Navy.

“These four latest generation multipurpose vessels have been designed specifically for the needs of the Argentinean Navy to enable crews to carry out their missions in optimal safety conditions,” Jean-Claude Flandrin, Program Director, concluded.