DCNS cuts metal for Egyptian GOWIND 2500 corvette

DCNS has commenced production of the first GOWIND 2500 corvette for the Egyptian Navy, the company said in a 15 April press release.

The vessel is the first of a series of four to be delivered to the navy before 2019. The cutting of the first metal sheets begins the launch of the industrial programme for the navy. Under this programme, DCNS will construct four corvettes for Egypt as well as France.

The first corvette will be built at the DCNS facility in Lorient, and the next three will be built in Alexandria, Egypt as part of a construction technology transfer agreement.

Bruno Chapeland, director of the Egypt GOWIND programme, DCNS, said: 'This industrial milestone is the concrete output of preliminary work to adapt the vessel to the specific needs of the Egyptian navy, conducted over the last nine months by the DCNS teams.

'Today, we have started the construction of the very first GOWIND 2500 corvette, the reference product on the corvette market. We are proud to produce this latest-generation vessel for the Egyptian navy.'

DCNS is currently building five FREMM frigates for the French Navy and the GOWIND corvette for the Egyptian navy. It is also preparing to deliver the FREMM Normandie, for Egypt.

The GOWIND 2500 incorporates the SETIS combat system, developed by DCNS for FREMM frigates and GOWIND corvettes. It also has a Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module. It has a length of 102m, displacement of 2,600 tonnes, maximum speed of 25 knots, crew of 65 and a range of 3,700 nautical miles.