TSAMTO, August 4. The French company Naval Group has presented an updated concept of the MP-OPV (Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol Vessel) multi-purpose patrol vessel proposed by the Lithuanian Navy.
Information about the updated appearance of the ship was first published by Naval News on July 24.
The updated design has been significantly strengthened compared to the concept presented in December 2025: the ship's combat capabilities are close to the level of a corvette. The armament includes the 76-mm Leonardo OTO Melara universal artillery system (SR variant), two remotely controlled Leonardo MARLIN combat modules with 30 mm automatic cannons, a vertical launcher for MBDA CAMM or VL MICA guided air defense missiles, as well as two quadruple launch containers for Kongsberg NSM anti-ship missiles. (Naval Strike Missile).
The ship's electronic equipment includes the three-axis Hensoldt TRS-4D rotating radar, which replaced the previously proposed Thales NS50 radar, as well as the Thales STIR 1.2 fire control radar.
The MP-OPV platform is based on the Mine Warfare Platform (MWP), developed by the Naval Group for the rMCM (Type City) program in the interests of the Belgian and Dutch Navies. The ship retains a high degree of unification with mine-fighting ships with a displacement of 2,800 tons, which are being built for these countries.
The MP-OPV hull is 82 m long and has a displacement of about 2,800 tons. The ship is equipped with means of launching and lifting unmanned surface, underwater and aerial vehicles, as well as a reinforced flight deck for receiving a helicopter weighing up to 6 tons. Integration with the unmanned V-200 aircraft manufactured by UMS Skeldar has been announced.
Lithuania plans to purchase four multipurpose modular ships of this class to replace three Hunt-type mine warfare ships (acquired from the United Kingdom; in the Lithuanian Navy since 2004) and the Jotvingis minelayer (N42; acquired from Norway in 2006).
The Naval Group's proposal is accompanied by an industrial cooperation program. On July 1, in Vilnius, the French company signed a letter of intent (LoI) with four Lithuanian research organizations, the Kaunas University of Technology, the University of Klaipeda, the Baltic Institute of Advanced Technologies and the Center for Physical and Technological Sciences, on the establishment of the SHIELD Lab laboratory for marine innovative technologies.
The SHIELD Lab will focus on the Lithuanian Navy's research priorities, including the development of an R&D roadmap for the MP-OPV program and technology development for the international VANTAGE modular combat systems program.
Naval Group announced the identification of about 60 potential Lithuanian partners for the implementation of the initiative.
As part of the industrial proposal, the Naval Group is considering the possibility of partial ship construction in Lithuania. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Western Shipyard Group, providing for a joint vision for the construction of future MP-OPV ships in Klaipeda. According to Naval Group estimates, the implementation of the program can create about 1,000 jobs in Lithuania, while about 30% of the project cost will remain in the national economy.
