Bangladesh gets first two OPVs
The Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) has received the first two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) under a supply contract with Fincantieri for four OPVs, the company announced on 4 August.
The OPVs are upgraded and converted decommissioned Minerva-class corvettes of the Italian Navy. The first two vessels have been renamed as CGS Syed Nazrul (ex Minerva) and Tajuddin (ex Sibilla).
Minerva and Sibilla were retired from the Italian national fleet in May 2015, and were upgraded and converted at the Fincantieri dock in Genoa, Italy, and completed at the naval shipyard in La Spezia.
The next two ships, Urania and Danaide, will be delivered in 2017 after upgrade and conversion. The works will expand the lifespan of these vessels by over 20 years.
BCG will use the vessels to patrol its maritime boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zone traffic and perform environmental pollution containment and civilian assistance missions during humanitarian emergencies.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![US Navy’s $275 billion BBGN plan hinges on shipyard transformation]()
US Navy’s $275 billion BBGN plan hinges on shipyard transformation
The US Navy’s planned nuclear-powered warship carries a US$275 billion price tag, but the greater story lies in the industrial overhaul needed to build it, from AI-enabled design to digital twins and modular construction.
-
![RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV]()
RTX confirms US Marine Corps and US Navy acquire Hadalus UUV
RTX told Shephard that the Hadalus UUV has been procured by the US Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research for operational experimentation as the company prepares additional demonstrations with the US Navy, NATO and AUKUS partners.
-
![Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand]()
Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand
Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.
-
![The UK joins the movement towards joint procurement]()
The UK joins the movement towards joint procurement
The UK will spend an estimated US$3.89 billion over the next decade in joint naval programmes, a lot of which will be in cooperation with Norway.
