Ghenova signs contract with Brazil Navy for two unfinished OPVs

Photo Courtesy : Ghenova

Spanish engineering company Ghenova has awarded its first contract with the Brazilian Navy (Marinha de Brasil) worths$ 6.4 million to complete the design work on two unfinished Macaé-class offshore patrol boats within one year and the possibility of renewal for an additional four years, company announced via internet on 11st February.

The contract is a landmark agreement, a kind of umbrella contract, which covers detailed engineering work for the construction, repair and modernization of naval assets, Maracanã and Mangaratiba, whose construction was interrupted. The signing of the contract, which took place at the Rio de Janeiro Navy Arsenal, was attended by the Rear Admiral Director of AMRJ (The Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro, a main maintenance center and naval base of the Brazilian Navy) and the Commanders who will participate in the management of the contract, as well as the Corporate General Director of GHENOVA, Raul Arévalo, and the Country Manager of the Brazilian subsidiary, Frederico Cupello.

Ghenova company has participated in important projects for the defense sector, such as the Spanish frigate 105 Cristóbal Colón, an LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) for the Australian navy, Ship Juan Carlos I for the Spanish navy, and several jobs for the Colombian Navy.

Macaé-class patrol vessel:

Macaé-class is a series of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) being constructed for the Brazilian Navy. The vessels will patrol Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters (AJB).

The Macaé-class vessels are being built under a five-ship acquisition programme launched by the government of Brazil in 2006, but the construction was interrupted after the first ship named Macaé.

The Macaé-class patrolling vessels are based on the French CMN Vigilante 400 CL54 platform. Its proven design incorporates a round bilge hull for high stability in rough seas. The hull is made of steel, while the superstructure of the OPV is built using aluminium. The modular design further enables the integration of subsystems for multiple applications.

The stern side of the ship is equipped with a dedicated A-frame davit to launch and recover two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs). The patrol vessel has a displacement of 500t and will be able to accommodate a crew of 49 members.

The OPV measures 55.2m-long and 8m-wide, while the depth and draft of the vessel are 4.6m and 2.3m respectively.

The Macaé-class patrol vessels are armed with a 40mm cannon and two 20mm guns. BAE Systems is responsible for manufacturing and delivering Bofors 40 Mk4 naval guns for the vessels.

The patrol vessels are powered by two MTU Friedrichshafen 16V 4000 M90 diesel engines coupled to a pair of controllable pitch propellers. The ship’s propulsion also integrates two main generator sets and an emergency generator to power the onboard systems.

The vessels can reach up to of 21k speed and attain a range of more than 4,600km at 15k speed.

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Photo Source : Ghenova