ADSB eyes OPV opportunities

ADSB has been contracted to build the UAE Navy's Falaj 3 OPVs. (Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB))

The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) market is a natural progression for Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) following recent work to develop inshore patrol vessels, according to the company's CEO, David Massey.

Speaking during a media briefing, Massey said that the development of a wholly ADSB-designed OPV is a logical step for the company, which has earlier largely been focused on work on vessels designed by other yards and undertaking systems integration. ADSB has developed two clean sheet designs to meet coastal and inshore requirements, the 160 Inshore Tactical and Engagement Platform and the 120 Fast Inshore Platform.

Massey noted that ADSB's engineering expertise and facilities will enable it to build vessels up to 80 m in length. He highlighted the yard's experience in complex systems integration as offering an advantage over its competitors.

The yard was contracted in May 2021 to build four Falaj 3 OPVs for the United Arab Emirates Navy (UAE Navy) in a deal worth AED3.5 billion (USD953 million), and had built five of the UAE Navy's Baynunah-class corvettes.

Potential customers for the OPVs include the Gulf Cooperation Council, Malaysia and Indonesia in South-East Asia, and countries in West, East, and North Africa, said Massey.

Massey said that a number of these countries have similar requirements for vessels that can fill a range of mission sets, including counter-piracy, anti-smuggling, fisheries protection, critical offshore infrastructure security, and the protection of territorial waters.

These tasks did not require extensive systems or weapons fits and can be met by vessels that can operate with endurance, over the horizon, and are equipped with heavy machine guns or cannon, according to Massey.