Falaj 3 programme proceeds to contract award
Design concept image of the Falaj 3 OPV. (Photo: ADSB)
Abu Dhabi Ship Building received a contract to build four new OPVs for the UAE Navy.
Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) announced on 18 May that it has officially signed an AED3.5 billion ($952.8 million) contract with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) MoD to build four Falaj 3-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the UAE Navy.
This is the largest-ever order for ADSB from the UAE Navy, exceeding the value of the Baynunah-class corvette programme.
ADSB received a letter of award from the UAE MoD in Q4 2020 to build the four vessels.
Their delivery date remains undisclosed, however.
Khalid Al Breiki, ADSB chairman and president of the Mission Support cluster in EDGE (which owns 40% of the shipbuilder), said the order will provide ADSB ‘with a platform for sustainable profitable growth, while maintaining strategic national assets that are critical to the defence of the UAE’.
All four Falaj 3 OPVs will be built locally and ADSB will also be responsible for systems integration.
Shephard reported from NAVDEX 2021 in February that ADSB displayed a scale model of the 60m-long, 641t Falaj 3 patrol vessel. The design appears to be based on the Fearless-class patrol vessels built by Singapore Technologies in the 1990s, with reduced radar cross-section, IR and acoustic signatures.
Falaj 3 will be powered by four engines driving four propellers, allowing the OPVs to exceed 26kt.
The scale model at NAVDEX showed a 30mm cannon and various missile types.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Australia is ramping up its uncrewed surface fleet as Sea Archer lines up for key requirement]()
Australia is ramping up its uncrewed surface fleet as Sea Archer lines up for key requirement
As advances in uncrewed technology increasingly shape Australia’s maritime future, Shephard spoke with the country’s head of navy capability and a Leidos Australia executive about the operational advantages behind the shift.
-
![What does Saab’s operations shake-up mean for its new ‘Naval’ chapter?]()
What does Saab’s operations shake-up mean for its new ‘Naval’ chapter?
Saab’s merger of its Kockums and Naval Combat Systems divisions into a single business area called Naval, effective 1 April 2026, aims to enhance efficiency, innovation and competitive positioning in the naval sector.
-
![Iran and the future of amphibious operations: crewed and uncrewed solutions]()
Iran and the future of amphibious operations: crewed and uncrewed solutions
Amphibious operations are a very unique type of military operation, and global defence industries are developing new solutions to enhance capabilities and efficiency.
-
![US Navy to acquire and test uncrewed surface vessel prototypes by the end of FY2026]()
US Navy to acquire and test uncrewed surface vessel prototypes by the end of FY2026
The new autonomous surface vessels are planned to be operationally fielded in FY2027, following the completion of on-water trials.
-
![Hanwha Ocean and TKMS are firming up their Canadian next-gen submarine proposals]()
Hanwha Ocean and TKMS are firming up their Canadian next-gen submarine proposals
CPSP competitors are proposing platforms fitted with advanced, next-generation capabilities to be built and sustained in cooperation with the Canadian industry.
