TSAMTO, May 12. According to the French company Naval Group, on May 10 at the shipyard in Concarneau (Brittany), the ceremony of launching the third of the four ordered by the Argentine Navy patrol ship of the coastal zone OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) – (53) "Storni" (Storni) took place.
The ship was partially built at Kership Lorient in Lanester, and final assembly was carried out at Piriou Shipyards in Concarneau. The delivery of the Storni to the Argentine Navy is scheduled for October 2021.
As reported by CAMTO, on February 13, 2019, after receiving an initial payment of 112.454 million euros, Naval Group announced the entry into force of the contract signed on June 22, 2018 in Buenos Aires for the supply of four patrol ships to the Argentine Navy. The total value of the sale agreed in 2018 is estimated at 319.034 million euros ($363 million).
The contract provides for repairs, adaptation in accordance with the requirements of the Argentine Navy and the delivery of the ship "L'adrois" (from the French Navy), as well as the construction in France of three new patrol ships OPV-87 ("Govind") to an improved design. They are designed to patrol the territorial waters of Argentina, ensure maritime security, protect marine resources and perform other tasks. The ships are adapted for their use in the cold seas surrounding Antarctica.
Naval Group acts as the general contractor for the delivery, manages the program as a whole, the design, as well as the integration of the Polaris combat control system. The company has adapted the L'adrois built in 2011 to the requirements of the Argentine Navy. She was transferred to the Command of the Argentine Navy on 6 December 2019 and renamed (51) "Bouchard". The construction of the three new ships is carried out by Kership (a joint venture of Naval Group and the French shipbuilding company Piriou).
The first ship of the new construction, "Piedrabuena", was handed over to the Argentine Navy on April 13, 2021. It is similar to the "L'adroi", but has received a number of modifications to improve performance. It is planned that the remaining ships will be delivered to the customer during 2021-2022.
The length of the OPV-87 ships in the version for the Argentine Navy is 87 m, the maximum width is 14 m, and the displacement is 1650 tons. The ship is equipped with two Anglo Belgian Corporation V12 diesel engines (5.6 MW) and develops a maximum speed of 21 knots, a range of 7,000 nautical miles, autonomy-21 days, a crew of 30-40 people. On board, there are seats for up to 20 additional people. The ship is equipped with a take-off platform for the use of a 10-ton helicopter. Two 9-meter rigid-hull inflatable dinghies (RHIB) can also be placed on board. All four ships will be equipped with Leonardo's MARLIN-WS (Modular Advanced Remotely-controlled Lightweight Naval Weapon Station) with a 30 mm cannon. The hull of the ships is reinforced for their use in the cold waters of the south seas.
