Egyptian Navy selects Swiftships’ patrol boats

Swiftships will build six new patrol boats for the Egyptian Navy under a new agreement announced on 5 November. Contract negotiations are being finalised and procurement of materials will begin before 2015.

The 35 metre patrol boat was selected for the Egyptian Navy following a technical evaluation on behalf of the Egyptian government.

The vessels will be built under a co-production programme between the Egyptian government and Swiftships that was put in place for the build of four 28 meter Patrol Boats between 2010 and 2014. The six patrol boats will be constructed at the Egyptian Ship Building and Repairs Company (ESBRC) in Alexandria, Egypt. The construction will be performed by in-country labour with Swiftships’ support and supervision.

Shehraze Shah, CEO, Swiftships, said: ‘The participation of Swiftships with a public entity and a strong financial arm can enhance the shipbuilding and ship repair trade; as a result, infrastructure, modernisation and employment can flourish in the region in which co-production is applied.’

The 35m patrol boat is designed for the containment and defeat of a wide range of aerial and subsea enemy threats. The hull and superstructure are constructed of all-welded aluminium alloy. The hull includes seven watertight bulkheads forming eight watertight compartments. Boats can be refuelled at sea using side-by-side procedures, and run on diesel fuel.

Swiftships has built a total of 23 boats for the Egyptian Navy including mine hunters, survey vessels, and both steel and aluminium patrol boats.