According to information published by the Facebook account of the Nigerian Navy on November 3, 2021, the Navy signed a contract with a Turkish company, Dearsan Shipyard for the purchase of 2 brand new Offshore Patrol Vessels 76. The 2 vessels are expected to be completed within 37 months.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link
Signature of the contract in front of a model of Offshore Patrol Vessel 76 (Picture source: Facebook account of the Nigerian Navy)
Admiral Gambo stated that the contract signing ceremony was another milestone achievement by the Nigerian Navy in her fleet renewal effort towards realizing her 2021-2030 Strategic Plan and expressed gratitude to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari for his continued support and goodwill towards the Nigerian Navy.
The CNS also recalled that on the directive of the President and Commander-in-Chief, the Nigerian Navy hosted the Chief of the Ghana Navy to discuss collaborative efforts to combat piracy and other maritime crimes in the GoG and during the meeting, it was agreed that there was a need to establish a standing ECOWAS Multinational Task Force in the GoG.
The Offshore Patrol Vessel 76 has a length of 76.80 m, a beam of 11 m, and a draft of 2,9 m. The OPV has a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 3,000 nautical miles.
The vessel is armed with a 76 mm Leonardo Super Rapid Gun, a 40 mm Leonardo Light Naval Gun, two 12.7 mm Stabilized Automatic Machine Gun, two 12.7 mm Manuel Use Machine Gun, and two SAM SIMBAD RC.
