Middle East proves fertile market for corvettes
Bani Yas leaves the dry-dock at Naval Group's site in Lorient. (Photo: Naval Group)
The Middle East has proved a significant region for European shipbuilders such as Naval Group, Navantia and Fincantieri.
A pair of Middle Eastern shipbuilding programmes passed important milestones in the first week of December, when Naval Group launched the first Gowind corvette for the UAE Navy and Navantia launched Saudi Arabia's final Avante 2200 corvette.
The first-in-class Gowind 2500 corvette Bani Yas, launched on 6 December at Naval Group's Lorient shipyard, will be followed by a second vessel, which is already under construction in France and is scheduled to be launched in 2022.
Gowind corvettes are already in service with the Egyptian Navy; the vessels for UAE are being provided under a turnkey agreement which will also see Naval Group train UAE Navy
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