New Gowind Corvette for the UAE Starts Sea Trials

The first Gowind type corvette for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy, Bani Yas (P110), has started its sea trials on March 6, 2023. It is the most advanced design to date in the Gowind family. Bani Yas is a multi-mission stealth corvette built by Naval Group providing multiple simultaneous capabilities and designed to achieve, with the highest level of performance, the full spectrum of naval defence operations and maritime security roles. In 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered two Gowind-type corvettes to be built in France. The first corvette, Bani Yas, was launched in December 2021. The second one, Al Emarat, was launched in May 2022 at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient. My story for Naval News, here. 

Ten new Kewatec high-speed patrol boats for the Cyprus Port and Marine Police

Press release by Kewatec Shipyards

Kewatec SAR 850

Government of the Republic of Cyprus – Ministry of Justice and Public Order – Cyprus Port and Marine Police (Coast Guard) have ordered ten (10) new high-speed patrol boats from Kewatec. The boats are aluminum-hulled RIB-type with foam fenders. The boats are capable of a top speed of more than 50 knots. The boats are a new model called Kewatec SAR 850 and will be handed over in the second half of 2024. The boats are designed for several operational needs for example patrolling, sea rescue, special missions, and coast guard. The boats will patrol the coastal areas of Cyprus and territorial waters up to 24 nautical miles from the nearest shore.

The Importance of FDI Frigates Procurement by the Hellenic Navy

On the eve of Greek Independence Day on March 24, 2022, on the deck of the legendary armored cruiser Georgios Averof (permanently docked as a museum ship at Paleo Faliro) and in a celebratory atmosphere, Greek officials signed a contract with French manufacturers Naval Group, MBDA and Thales, for the procurement of three (plus one optional) Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention or FDI (Defense and Intervention Frigates) in their Hellenic Navy (HN) configuration (FDI HN), along with their weapons load and integrated logistics support (ILS). The option for the fourth FDI HN with related weapons load and ILS expires on June 30, 2023 under the terms and conditions of the contract. My story for Naval News, here.

INFOGRAPHICS #61: Future Surface Combatants Vol. VΙ (ΜΕΚΟ Α-300, HF2, SIGMA 11515 EXT.AAW)

Written by D-Mitch

In this post, I include some of the infographics I made and published on social media, about new surface combatants that are under construction and about to enter service in the near future. In this Vol. VI post however I will include some designs that have been proposed to various Navies' competitions but until now they have not find a customer.

1. ΜΕΚΟ Α-300 frigate, a TKMS design that was proposed for Greece (FDI HN won the competition) and Poland (AH140PL won the competition)

Indicative equipment of a MEKO A-300 frigate by TKMS

Greek naval vessels to be fitted with SPIKE missiles

Greece will proceed with the procurement of SPIKE fire-and-forget missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to equip eight naval vessels of two different types. The Greek Governmental Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA), under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, decided today to proceed with the procurement of SPIKE missiles from the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, to equip the Hellenic Armed Forces. The acquisition of SPIKE fire-and-forget missiles will equip, among others, eight naval vessels in total, of two different types. My story for Naval News, here.

The future of the Hellenic Coast Guard Fleet (2020-2027)

The following article is in Greek language and analyzes the future purchases and the important issues regarding the future of the Hellenic Coast Guard ships and boats.

Από Ανώνυμος Λιμενικός και D-Mitch

Η "ναυαρχίδα" του ΛΣ-ΕΛΑΚΤ σήμερα, το ΠΑΘ Γαύδος

Στις 25 Νοεμβρίου 2022, το Λιμενικό Σώμα – Ελληνική Ακτοφυλακή (Λ.Σ.-ΕΛ.ΑΚΤ.) εκτιμώντας τις παρούσες και μελλοντικές ανάγκες της χώρας ανακοίνωσε διαβούλευση με την αγορά για προμήθεια δύο (02)  Πλοίων Ανοιχτής Θαλάσσης (ΠΑΘ) ολικού μήκους άνω των 80 μέτρων. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, το Αρχηγείο του Λ.Σ.-ΕΛ.ΑΚΤ. ανακοίνωσε τη διενέργεια ανοικτών και δημόσιων ενημερωτικών συναντήσεων, μη δεσμευτικής συμμετοχής οικονομικών φορέων (διαβούλευση-τεχνικός διάλογος), με σκοπό την ενημέρωση του Λ.Σ. / ΕΛ. ΑΚΤ., «για τις νέες τεχνολογικές εξελίξεις και τη συλλογή πληροφοριών που κρίνονται ουσιώδεις στο πλαίσιο κατάρτισης τεχνικών απαιτήσεων/προδιαγραφών για την “Προμήθεια δυο (2) πλοίων ανοικτής θαλάσσης άνω των 80 μ.” συνολικού εκτιμώμενου προϋπολογισμού 160.000.000 ευρώ». Το πρόγραμμα συγχρηματοδοτείται από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση (Ε.Ε.). Συνοπτικά, στις τεχνικές απαιτήσεις ζητείται η μέγιστη ταχύτητα των πλοίων να είναι 27 κόμβοι, θα δύναται αν φιλοξενήσει 40 άτομα πλήρωμα συν 30 επιβαίνοντες, θα διαθέτουν ελικοδρόμιο για την προσνήωση και εξυπηρέτηση ελικοπτέρου κατηγορίας 11 τόνων, καθώς επίσης και δύο μη επανδρωμένων ελικοπτέρων με μέγιστο βάρος απονήωσης 200 κιλών, υπόστεγο για τη φιλοξενία των μη επανδρωμένων ελικοπτέρων καθώς δυνατότητα φιλοξενίας και επανδρωμένου ελικοπτέρου της τάξεως των έξι τόνων και τέλος θα έχουν μόνιμο οπλισμό που θα αποτελείται από ένα τηλεχειριζόμενο πυροβόλο των 30 χλστ. και δύο τηλεχειριζόμενα πυροβόλα των 12,7 χλστ. (περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες εδώ). Είναι η πρώτη φορά στην ιστορία του Λ.Σ.-ΕΛ. ΑΚΤ. που συζητείται η προμήθεια πλοίων τέτοιου μεγέθους αφού μέχρι τώρα τα ΠΑΘ ήταν μικρότερα των 60 μέτρων.

Greece postpones corvette program decision to early 2023

In the first months of 2023, the Greek government will select the preferred bidder for the Hellenic Navy (HN) corvette program, between Fincantieri’s FCX30 (based on Qatar’s Doha/Al Zubarah-class variant) and Naval Group’s Gowind (based on Egypt’s El Fateh-class variant). Today, the Greek Government Council of National Security (KYSEA) under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister K. Mitsotakis decided to postpone the decision on the new corvette program for early 2023. The Greek government will select the preferred bidder for the Hellenic Navy (HN) corvette program, between Italian Fincantieri’s FCX30 (Qatar’s Doha/Al Zubarah-class variant) and French Naval Group’s Gowind (UAE’s Bani Yas-class variant). Both manufacturers have submitted their final and best offers. My story for Naval News, here. 

First Greek-designed special operations craft receives its armament

Agenor, the first Greek indigenously designed and built special operations craft (SOC) becomes the first Hellenic Navy vessel to receive a remote weapon station (RWS). This is the first and sole vessel currently in the Hellenic Navy inventory carrying RWS. The new special operations craft of the Hellenic Navy’s Underwater Demolition Command (UDC) is a product of Phi-Mechaniseas, a company formed by Greek shipbuilders, engineers and naval system manufacturers led by Panagiotis Alourdas, Commodore HN (rtd), Nautical Architect and Mechanical Engineer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. The Hellenic Shipyards SA (Skaramaga Shipyards) built the boat in close collaboration with the Navy and the design team. The aluminum for the construction of the craft was donated by ElvalHalcor, while the project was funded by the Hellenic Navy. The craft was launched on July 30, 2021 and entered service in May 2022. My story for Naval News, here.

Mine Laying Capability for All Navies by SH Defence

Mine laying, a low cost but very effective capability is making a comeback among navies worldwide in the wake of current events in the Black Sea. While few navies operate vessels with the capability to lay mines, Danish company SH Defence offers a new solution: A dedicated mine laying module. The Cube is a container-based modular payload concept that was first launched in 2020 by SH Defence. Today, the Cube portfolio consists in a range of over 300 payloads ranging from propulsion systems to decoy launchers and even search and rescue modules. The latest addition to The Cube ecosystem was unveiled during MAST Med 2020 conference and exhibition that took place in Athens, Greece in 2-4 November 2022: It is a Containerized Mine Laying System which can easily and quickly turn navy ships into mine laying platforms. My story for Naval News, here.