06 July 2022
by John Pagni
The new vessels will be an improved version of the OPV Turva, which entered service in 2014. (Janes/John Pagni)
The Finnish Border Guard (FBG) has awarded a contract to Meyer Turku for two new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).
The new vessels will be an improved variant of the OPV Turva, which was commissioned into FBG service in 2014 as the world's first LNG coastguard ship.
Under the terms of the contract, signed on 29 June, the first new OPV is expected to be completed in 2025, and the second boat in 2026. They are intended to replace three older OPVs: Merikarhu, Tursas, and Uisko, and will have an expected service life that extends into the 2050s.
Based on Turva's specifications, the two new OPVs are expected to be 96 m long with a 5 m draft and a top speed of 18 kt to navigate Finland's 4,600 km irregular coastline that is dotted with islands, islets, and skerries.
In winter, Turva
07 May 2024
by Kate Tringham
Victa integrated with Capewell's UMCADS. (SubSea Craft)
UK-based SubSea Craft has joined forces with Capewell Europe to explore the air deployability of its Victa diver delivery unit (DDU) prototype when integrated onboard the latter's newly developed Universal Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System (UMCADS).
Speaking to Janes on 1 May, Lee Ebsworth, SubSea Craft's chief commercial officer, said the partnership has mutual opportunities as the two companies work together to increase the evidence bank for Victa as a deployable air asset as well as to demonstrate the flexibility of Capewell's UMCADS.
“While we continuously push the technological edge in our platforms to give operators the advantage, their effectiveness hinges on successful deployment into the area of operations,” he said. “We've prioritised ensuring Victa's flexibility in deployment, and conducting feasibility studies with Capewell enables us to expand the available options against the most demanding scenarios.” What is particularly valuable about UMCADS is its configurable nature, which not only supports Victa but also complements other concepts currently in development, he added.
Based around a monohull design constructed of carbon fibre and Diab core, SubSea Craft's
07 May 2024
by Jeremiah Cushman
A model of the Gibbs & Cox International-class light frigate displayed at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space exposition in April 2024. (Janes/Jeremiah Cushman)
Gibbs & Cox, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, has developed a platform to meet global demand for smaller frigates, William Cowardin Jr, vice-president for global ship design, Gibbs & Cox, told Janes in April during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland. What the company calls the International class began as an internal research and development effort to develop a next-generation hull and test it to determine how big or small it could be and various mission packages that could be integrated, he said.
The design is simpler to construct so that it can be produced by smaller shipyards or yards that have not previously built warships. It employs mature technologies, such as the GE Aerospace LM2500 gas turbine with a basic combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLOG) propulsion architecture, Cowardin Jr said. Gibbs & Cox brings significant experience in working with shipyards, including being able to tailor production packages to meet a yard's specific needs.
03 May 2024
by Kate Tringham
An artist's impression of the French Navy's PA-NG next-generation carrier. (MO Porte Avions)
The French defence procurement agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement: DGA) has placed the first order for long-lead items for the country's future Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération (PA-NG) next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN), the French Ministry of the Armed Forces has confirmed.
In a 30 April announcement, the French defence ministry said the DGA had awarded a contract worth EUR600 million (USD642.7 million) to the PA-NG programme's industrial prime contractor MO Porte-Avions (a joint venture of Naval Group and Chantiers de l'Atlantique), and nuclear reactor developer TechnicAtome, covering the provision of long-lead elements related to the ship's nuclear propulsion, namely the K-22 nuclear reactors, their containment structures, and steam generation machinery.
The contract paves the way to start manufacturing these elements, with work expected to continue from 2024 to 2029 in advance of the start of construction of the aircraft carrier, the defence ministry said.
The Finnish Border Guard (FBG) has awarded a contract to Meyer Turku for two new liquefied natural g...
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