French shipbuilder Socarenam announced on October 6 that it has been selected to design and build an offshore patrol vessel for the Polish Coast Guard.
The company said it won the contract following a European call for tenders with competitive bidding launched at the end of 2019. The shipbuilder noted the contract award came after recent successes with the delivery of patrol vessels for the French customs, and the navies of Belgium and France.
The 70-meter vessel will be designed in cooperation with the Mauric naval architecture firm. It will have a reinforced steel hull and aluminum superstructures. Accommodating a crew of 35, the OPV will be equipped with two high-speed RHIBs and a mini-UAV.
The vessel construction is being financed by the European Internal Security Fund and the Polish State. It will be based in Gdansk and will be able to operate in all European waters, from the icy waters of the Baltic Sea to the warm waters of the Mediterranean.
