Project Biro makes headway in South Africa with second MMIPV launch
A second MMIPV has joined first-in-class King Sekhukhune II (pictured). (Photo: SAN)
With two MMIPVs in the water, the South African Navy awaits the final vessel in 2024.
The second of three Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs) for the South African Navy (SAN) was launched on 14 October.
Shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) noted in a statement that the vessel will be delivered to the SAN in 2023 ‘after extensive acceptance trials’, and the final MMIPV will follow in 2024.
DSCT delivered the first MMPIV (King Sekhukhune II) in May 2022, four years after it was awarded the Project Biro contract.
Each MMPIV is 62m long with a beam of 11m, based on the Damen Sea Axe design.
Shephard Defence Insight estimates a unit cost of $33 million per vessel.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Project Biro-62m Multimission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs)
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?]()
Will the US Navy surge production for OTH-WS missile?
The USN is conducting a market search seeking additional sources capable of supplying 516 units of Over the Horizon – Weapons System Encanistered Missiles.
-
![How will SAFE shape naval procurement for Canada and its highest-receiving members?]()
How will SAFE shape naval procurement for Canada and its highest-receiving members?
Canada’s inclusion on the EU’s Security Action for Europe initiative is set to enhance the country’s defence procurement strategy with important implications for some of its naval programmes, while Poland and Romania have also secured significant SAFE funding.
-
![Thales wins DE&S contract for portable autonomous command centres]()
Thales wins DE&S contract for portable autonomous command centres
The agreement to provide portable autonomous command centres to the UK Royal Navy will enhance the service’s Mine Counter Measure operations and further integrate autonomous and uncrewed systems into its fleet.
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
