TSAMTO, May 27. Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding (ADSB) announced the conclusion of a contract with the Ministry of Defense and the command of the UAE Navy worth 3.5 billion dirhams (about 952.8 million dollars) for the construction of four patrol ships of the Falaj-3 class (Falaj-3).
Delivery dates are not disclosed. This contract is the largest order ever received by ADSB and supports the company's efforts to become a leading regional shipyard by providing innovative and reliable solutions.
According to the head of ADSB, Khalid Al Breiki, the order is a confirmation of the trust in ADSB from the Ministry of Defense and the UAE Navy and will provide the company with a platform for sustainable growth while maintaining strategic national assets that are critical to the protection of the UAE. All four ships will be built in Abu Dhabi. The company will also be responsible for the integration of combat systems.
ADSB has previously built Baynouna-class corvettes for the UAE Navy, the last of which was delivered in 2017. The company has the ability to build corvettes, patrol ships and high-speed patrol boats, and also offers a full range of services for the maintenance, repair and modernization of ships.
The issue of building patrol ships was first raised six years ago, ADSB spokesman David Masse told Reuters. Negotiations on the terms of the contract have been actively conducted by the parties over the past two years.
As stated, "Falaj-3" will be a multi-purpose patrol ship designed to perform a wide range of tasks. Details of the project have not yet been disclosed, but in February at the NAVDEX-2021 exhibition, ADSB presented a scale model of the patrol ship "Falaj-3" with a length of 60 m and a displacement of 641 tons. The project is similar to the "Firless" class patrol ships built by Singapore's ST Marine in the mid-1990s. The ship is planned to be equipped with four engines. The estimated speed is more than 26 knots. The model was armed with a 30-mm AU and various types of missiles.
As reported by TSAMTO, two 55-meter patrol boats of the Falaj-2 class (Falaj-2) were built for the UAE Navy by the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri and delivered in 2013. The agreement included an option to build two additional ships and transfer technology to the national shipbuilding company.