Oman confirms British-VT OPV deal

[Musashi_kenshin]

Oman, VT Group Ink Patrol Ship Deal

Oman has signed a deal with Britain’s VT Group for the supply of three ocean patrol vessels. The move will significantly strengthen the Royal Navy of Oman when the warships are delivered during an 18-month period starting in early 2010. The 400-million-pound contract continues the Portsmouth, U.K.-based shipyard’s long-standing relationship with Oman, which has seen it deliver two corvettes and four fast-attack craft in the past 20 years.

The Omanis refer to the new warships as ocean patrol vessels but, in reality, they are small frigates weighing in at about 2,500 tons, with a length of just over 98 meters. The warships’ armaments will include surface-to-surface missiles and a helicopter capability. Oman’s navy includes corvettes, missile craft, coastal patrol craft and an amphibious support ship.

The British shipbuilding and support services company is hoping to boost its export order book further this year with an order to supply three offshore patrol vessels to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. VT was nominated by the Trinidad and Tobago government as the preferred contractor for the 150-million-pound deal in the second half of 2006. Negotiations continue, even though a challenge from Italian bid rivals Fincanteri late last year clouded VT’s prospects of landing the order.

The British company is in the midst of talks with BAE Systems over merging their surface shipbuilding capabilities in the U.K. A decision on whether the merger will proceed is expected by midyear. VT shipbuilding sales totaled 165 million pounds for the year ended March 2006, about 20 percent of VT Group revenues.

This is great news for British shipbuilding, as well as Oman - I'm sure they will get excellent vessels.

 

[Tasman]

Good to see VT continuing to secure export orders. It amazes me how this company has survived as a viable builder of small to medium sized warships, mainly, it seems to me, through developing and building vessels that are comparatively cheap but which meet the actual needs of their customers. It must be very reassuring for the RN to know that VT is still there if it is needed in the future.

 

[Musashi_kenshin]

It must be very reassuring for the RN to know that VT is still there if it is needed in the future.

Indeed - we may well be ordering a few "small frigates" next decade to take on light duties, freeing up the large ships for challenging missions.

 

[Grand Danois]

Smart-S Mk 2, VL MICAs and MM40 Exocet Block 3, etc. It is almost that OPV(H) gone escort... And 133 GBP apiece.

VT clinches Oman's Khareef OPV deal

By Richard Scott JNI Consultant Editor

Oman has awarded UK-based support services and shipbuilding company VT Group a GBP400 million (USD785 million) contract for the three-ship Project Khareef ocean patrol vessel (OPV) programme.

VT has made no comment on ship system vendors. However, it is understood that Thales will be principal subcontractor for the combat system scope of supply, with Thales Nederland to supply its TACTICOS combat management system, SMART-S Mk 2 E/F-band medium-range surveillance radar (integrated with a Thales TSB2525 IFF interrogator), STING EO Mk 2 fire-control director, and Link Y Mk 2 datalink terminal.

MBDA is to supply its VL MICA short-range air defence system to equip the Khareef vessels, having been selected ahead of Raytheon Missile Systems (offering the Raytheon RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile). Each ship will be equipped with a 12-cell VL MICA launcher forward of the bridge.

Other weapon systems are believed to include MBDA's MM40 Exocet Block 3 surface-to-surface guided weapon system, a single Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid gun and two MSI-Defence Systems DS 30M 30 mm guns. Soft-kill defence will be provided by the Rheinmetall Waffe Munition MASS decoy system.

http://www.janes.com/defence/naval_forces/news/jni/jni070118_1_n.shtml

 

[contedicavour]

Wow these are the first ships ever to be equipped with navalized MICA !!

cheers

 

[harryriedl]

dosn't sound like OPV wepoend fit it sounds more like a corvette or a light FFG fit. SSM, SAM,RAM a nice fit for an OPV
how large are the boats. good on VT

 

[Super Nimrod]

We need to know some more. Anything on the web anywhere ? I had a look and drew a blank, apart from the announcement of the sale.