, VT Shipbuilding, working in partnership with Elefsis Shipbuilding, will launch the fifth of class 62m. fast attack craft for the Hellenic Navy at the Elefsis shipyard on October 9.
The ship, which will be named HS Ritsos, is the latest milestone in a successful project that sees VT, working through Greek subsidiary VT Hellas, and Elefsis partnered to build five FACs, with an option for two more ships likely to be taken up in the future.
Three of the highly sophisticated craft are already service and have already demonstrated their capability operating out of the base at Amfialia, an outstation of Salamis Naval Base.
VT has played a valuable role in helping Elefsis to build a ship that has won widespread admiration. Initially, the VT team worked with Elefsis in a 40 million Euro investment on upgrading the expansive shipyard ready for the new project, investing in a new assembly hall and offices, plus new shell rolls, panel line, laser cutting and pipe bending machinery.
Detailed construction drawings of the Super Vita were then given to the Greek shipyard ready for the start of production with VT and Elefsis management working together and with Elefsis interfacing with the Hellenic Navy. Another key link in the chain was back in the UK where most of the ship equipments were procured by VT Shipbuilding before being sent to Greece.
Once the ships were structurally complete and the platform systems set to work by Elefsis, VT took over the task of weapons integration, setting to work and sea trials prior to final finishing off and handover to the Hellenic Navy.
VT Hellas project Director Bruce Balchin explains:
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