Babcock to supply fourth OPV to Ireland
Babcock International Group has received a contract extension from Ireland’s Department of Defence to provide a new Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) for the Irish Naval Service (INS), it was announced in June.
The vessel will be built at Babcock’s Appledore shipbuilding facility in North Devon. It will be the fourth OPV that Ireland will buy from Babcock, after the launch of LÉ Samuel Beckett and LÉ James Joyce, as well as the LÉ William Butler Yeats, which is under construction and expected to enter sea trials in July. The fourth OPV is scheduled for completion in summer 2018.
The vessel weighs 2,256 tonnes, is 90m long, has a range of 6,000 nautical miles, top speed of 23 knots and cruise speed of 15 knots. It can accommodate 44 crew members and has ten trainee berths. It will act as a mother ship for three fully-independent, rigid-hulled inflatable boats.
John Howie, divisional CEO of marine and technology businesses at Babcock, said: ‘We are really delighted to continue to support the Irish Naval Service with these important vessels. Our firm role is to safely provide cost-effective, value for money naval platforms that underpin our customer’s increasing requirements to protect their coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone, further enhancing border control capability and maritime security.’
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement]()
What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
-
![Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration]()
Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
-
![HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment]()
HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
-
![How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China]()
How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
-
![UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet]()
UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet
The UK MoD is scoping out systems to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems, with a focus on low-cost modularity and speed to field.
