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 MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies]()
US Navy’s MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies
The programme’s structure as a marketplace will allow multiple companies to compete for ongoing procurements; an approach which could be replicated across the Atlantic.
-
![UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for the country’s naval forces?]()
UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for the country’s naval forces?
Investment in nuclear submarines, autonomous systems and stronger defensive capabilities for existing vessels show a clear strategic shift in Royal Navy priorities.
-
![UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare]()
UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare
With a revised Defence Investment Plan on the way ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit on 7-8 July, the UK government has begun to reveal more details of how its future naval fleet could look.
-
![UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition]()
UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition
The UK shipbuilder’s full-year results to the end of March revealed the impact of the £140 million charge linked to design changes and rework on the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme.
