French shipyard STX Lorient has launched the Senegalese Navy’s new 45 metre offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Kedougou, which will be delivered at the end of this year to the West African country.
The Kedougou was launched at the port of Rohu on October 10 after some 24 000 hours of work. Senegal ordered the OPV from Raidco Marine, which subcontracted construction to the STX Lorient shipyard.
The Kedougou is 45.6 metres long, 8.4 metres wide and crewed by 17, with the option of accommodating four to eight passengers such as special forces personnel, but the vessel can be used for missions such as search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, pollution prevention, anti-piracy and preventing trafficking.
The vessel has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure. It is powered by two Cummins engines developing 1 940 kW. Endurance is ten days with a range of 2 000 nautical miles. It is able to launch two small boats.
Senegalese Navy Commander Serigne Fallou Diouf at the launch said the new vessel was part of the country’s plan to renew its naval fleet and allow the maritime arm of service to carry out missions such as fisheries inspection, fighting drug trafficking and piracy.
As part of its expansion process, Senegal’s Navy in the third quarter of 2013 took delivery of the Ferlo, a Raidco RPB 33 offshore patrol vessel. The 33 metre long vessel can accommodate a crew of 17 and travel 1 500 miles at 15 knots for an endurance of one week at sea, although top speed is over 40 knots. Armament includes a 20 mm cannon and two 12.7 mm machineguns and a boat can be launched from its stern.
