Celebrating the start of the construction of a second batch of two Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Pakistan Navy, the Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi performed the initial welding work on the keel of the first vessel at Damen Shipyards Galatí on October 12th 2022. Mrs Annelies Damen, Member of the Supervisory Board, welcomed the Admiral and his delegation on behalf of the Damen family for a celebration of the continued co-operation.
Together with the keel laying of the first vessel planned for completion, first plates of steel were cut for the construction of the second of two Damen OPV 2600 multi mission patrol vessels. These will provide the Pakistan Navy with a highly effective search and rescue capability, and allow it to play an important role in safeguarding international trade routes from piracy and other threats. The ships are equipped for extended range and performance and benefit from advanced communication systems.
This order for two more OPV vessels from Damen was issued by the Pakistan Navy following their positive experiences with two OPVs from the Shipyard Group they already operate. The initial order for the construction of two OPVs was awarded to Damen by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense Production following the completion of a transparent bidding process in which Damen’s design and construction proposal was found to be the most suited for Pakistan’s maritime needs.
In February and November 2020, two OPV 2300’s were delivered. The performance and capabilities of these vessels, known in the Pakistan Navy as the Yarmook class, led to a second order. The two bigger OPVs are planned for delivery in February and August 2024.
The Admiral underscored the importance of OPV’s in the maritime domain in his speech at the ceremony. These ships will act as force multipliers in enhancing the navy’s capability of safeguarding maritime frontiers and will offer more flexibility for the Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP) in the Indian Ocean. The Pakistan Navy has been playing its role in providing a secure sea environment, not only to Pakistan but also to the world community. The Admiral appreciated the professional competence of Damen design and construction teams. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from Pakistan Navy, from the Romanian Navy and local administration of the city of Galatí as well as directors from Damen Shipyards.
The OPV 2600 is the largest member of four new second-generation offshore patrol vessels (other variants are OPV 1400, OPV 1800, and OPV 2400) designed by Damen Shipyards to support a variety of naval and Coast Guard missions, such as Border and EEZ surveillance, Counter piracy and smuggling, and Counter drugs- and weapons trafficking among others.
The 2600-ton vessel has a length of 98 meters, which is longer than the Yarmook-class OPVs Pakistan Navy currently operates. It has 4x 2350 kW diesel engines coupled to two CPPs that can deliver a top speed of 24 knots to the vessel. OPV 2600 will also be fitted with a bow thruster for close maneuvers.
The vessel can operate at sea state 6 and is capable to survive at sea state 9 thanks to its active fin stabilizing system. It will be capable to accommodate 60 people.
The OPV 2600 will be armed with the main gun of up to 76 mm on the ship’s bow deck and two 20 mm guns as secondary weapons. The sensor suite includes a medium-range surveillance radar and an E/O fire control sensor. The ship will also be capable of helicopter missions with its helicopter deck and can house the helicopters in its hangar.
Under the aft deck there will be space for up to 5 containerized mission modules that can be loaded and unloaded using a crane.
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