In accordance with its fleet recapitalisation drive, the Nigerian Navy just lately took supply of an Offshore Patrol Vessel, OPV, and an Offshore Survey Vessel, OSV, from Turkey and France, respectively. Whereas the primary one from Turkey is a 76-metre Excessive Endurance OPV to fight maritime threats, the second from France, a 35-metre 115 OSV would increase the efforts of Nigerian Navy Ship LANA, the nation’s first hydrographic vessel, to chart the course of Hydrography and optimise the performance of Nigeria’s Blue Economic system
Though 70 per cent of Nigeria’s financial progress lies on the waterways, the maritime area is usually fraught with the challenges of maritime illegalities starting from piracy, sea theft, smuggling, unlawful fishing to crude oil theft and others.
To deal with this, the Nigerian Navy (NN) has needed to patrol the infinite miles of waterways regardless of some main challenges like scarcity of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), price range constraints, insufficient native ship constructing capability for setting up naval vessels and insufficient surveillance.
Asides defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity, the NN additionally contributes its quota on the regional stage, by patrolling the waters of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) which is an unlimited expanse of water stretching virtually 6,000km from Senegal to Angola.
However right now, a few of these challenges are step by step turning into a factor of the previous particularly relating to fleet acquisition, surveillance and ship constructing capability.
Only recently, according to its fleet recapitalisation drive, the NN took supply of an OPV and an Offshore Survey Vessel, OSV, from Turkey and France, respectively. Whereas the primary one from Turkey is a 76-metre Excessive Endurance OPV to fight maritime threats, the second from France, a 35-metre 115 OSV would increase the efforts of Nigerian Navy Ship LANA, the nation’s first hydrographic vessel, in charting the course of hydrography.
Combatting Maritime Threats with New 76-Metre HE OPV
Simply final week Friday on April 19, 2024, the NN launched a 76-metre Excessive Endurance (HE) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) constructed for the Nigerian Navy (NN) in DEARSAN Shipyard Turkey, to spice up maritime safety.
The launch was graced by the Minister of state for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle; the Chief of the Naval Workers (CNS) Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla; the Cost D’Affair, Nigerian Embassy Turkey, Ambassador Zayyad Habu Abdulsalam and different dignitaries.
In accordance with the Director of Info (DINFO), Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, with crew capability of 47 and endurance of 16 days (which implies that the vessel can keep for such lengthy at sea with out berthing to refuel and restock), the final specs of the newly launched OPV embrace size of 76.90m; width of 11.90m; draught – 3.60m; pace of 28knots; Propulsion System – Mixed Diesel and Diesel (CODAD); and vary of 2500 nautical miles.
Whereas the ship was launched by the First Girl, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, final Friday, it introduced recollections of the primary OPV constructed by the identical DEARSAN Shipyard that was launched on October 26, 2023.
In accordance with the CNS, the launch of the 76m OPV marks a big milestone in Nigeria’s dedication to safeguarding her territorial waters and combating maritime threats.
Talking additional, the CNS famous that the development of the two x OPVs commenced in 2022, including that uaf he was significantly happy that the milestones on the vessel development have been met.
He mentioned: “The development of the vessel will increase NN fleet renewal efforts for fulfilment of her constitutional mandate and guarantee most presence at sea to curb illicit acts similar to oil theft, piracy, sea theft, unlawful fishery in addition to smuggling of Small Arms and Mild Weapons amongst different crimes within the huge 84,000sqnm of Nigeria’s maritime setting.”
Whereas including that it might “additionally facilitate harnessing the big potentials inside Nigeria’s maritime area in assist of FG’s Blue Economic system initiatives”, the CNS additional expressed honest gratitude to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his assist in the direction of making certain the completion of the development of the OPVs and his dedication to NN fleet renewal aspirations.
He additionally prolonged his appreciation to the Particular Visitor of Honour the First Girl of Nigeria Senator (Dr) Oluremi Tinubu CON for accepting the invitation to carry out the age lengthy naval custom of launching a ship into water for the primary time, a job typically reserved for feminine leaders.
With New Offshore Survey Vessel, It’s Increase for Hydrography
In one other transfer in the direction of optimising the performance of Nigeria’s Blue Economic system, the NN took supply of a state-of-the-art OSV just lately. A French shipbuilding firm OCEA SA, efficiently delivered the cutting-edge OSV 115 vessel to the NN in Apapa, Lagos on April 17, 2024.
In accordance with Commodore Adams-Aliu, the OSV 115, designed and manufactured by OCEA SA, is a 35-metre vessel constructed for scientific hydrographic and oceanographic missions. “Outfitted with progressive know-how, together with medium/shallow water multi-beam echo-sounders and different important survey tools, the vessel is primed to conduct in-depth surveys in shallow and medium waters.
This newest addition to the NN fleet will function in tandem with the OSV 190 “NNS LANA,” additionally constructed and delivered by OCEA in 2021. The first function of the brand new vessel is to conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, supporting the continued NN efforts to safeguard Nigerian territorial waters and optimise the present administration’s Blue Economic system initiatives.
“It needs to be recalled that the NN commenced native manufacturing of internationally recognised nautical charts in 2019 and the newly acquired OSV will additional enhance NN hydrographic charting proficiency. The supply of the OSV 115 vessel comes with complete assist companies, together with coaching, spare elements, tooling, and vital documentation, making certain seamless integration and operation inside the Nigerian Navy’s fleet.
“The CNS stays grateful to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his unwavering assist to the NN in her fleet renewal aspirations.”