Damen details new OPV design

Damen has released details of its newest Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) at the OPVs & Corvettes Asia Pacific conference in Singapore on 20 April.

The second generation OPV has been configured for various missions. It features Damen’s Sea Axe hull shape, giving it advanced seakeeping capabilities, including exceptional low heave accelerations for stable passage even in rough seas.

With the hull designed to reduce water resistance, the new OPV is also highly fuel efficient and capable of speeds up to 25/26 knots.

The vessel has been designed for maximum versatility, with three multi-mission locations: the bridge, hangar and bay. The Multi-Mission Bay (MM Bay) can be equipped with dedicated mission modules (such as mission containers) for missions such as counter piracy, counter-drug operations, anti-mining warfare, and search-and-rescue (SAR). The MM Bay is also equipped with a nine metre rigid-hulled inflatable boat, which can be launched over a dedicated slipway through the rear of the vessel while the OPV is sailing. In the Damen-built Holland Class Ocean Patrol vessels for the Royal Netherlands Navy this system has already proven to be safe in operations up to SS 5 conditions.

The OPV’s command-and-control (C2) centre - the Multi-Mission Bridge (MM Bridge) - is located directly behind the bridge. Both spaces can be separated by means of a blinded sliding wall. During a mission when lowering the sliding wall, situation awareness in the C2 centre is improved.

Piet van Rooij, design and proposal manager, Damen, said: ‘Today OPVs don’t engage in combat situations as often as frigates do, however, fast and effective coordination during a ‘chase’ is essential for an OPV.’

The Multi-Mission Hangar (MM Hangar) is capable of storing an 11-tonne NH-90 helicopter and a UAV such as the Boeing ScanEagle. The MM Hangar has been designed so that the OPV crew can deploy either the helicopter or the UAV without having to move either one. Furthermore, there is space for a spare parts store and workshop for both the helicopter and UAV.

The OPV is available as a standard in four series: 75m – 1400 tonnes; 85m – 1800 tonnes; 95m – 2400 tonnes; and 103m – 2600 tonnes.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

ScanEagle / ScanEagle 2

NH90 TTH