VESSEL REVIEW | Duque de Ahumada – Spain's Guardia Civil police places hybrid patrol vessel into service

Spain’s Guardia Civil national police force recently welcomed a new hybrid offshore patrol vessel (OPV) to its fleet.

Built locally by Armon Shipyard, the vessel has been named Duque de Ahumada (“Duke of Ahumada”) in honour of Spanish Army officer Francisco Javier Girón, the Second Duke of Ahumada and founder of the Guardia Civil.

The new OPV replaces the earlier vessel Río Miño, which was originally built in 1984 and was operated by the Guardia Civil from 2007 up to this year.

Capable of extended-endurance missions

The newbuild has a length of 82.15 metres (269.5 feet), a beam of 14 metres (46 feet), a maximum draught of 4.7 metres (15 feet), a displacement of 2,500 tonnes at full load, and accommodation for 44 crewmembers and up to 12 additional personnel.

The design permits safe operation even under adverse weather conditions while the dimensions make the OPV the largest ship acquired by the Guardia Civil to date. The vessel also incorporates a Finanzauto hybrid system that combines electric and diesel propulsion to optimise energy consumption and reduce environmental impact.

The propulsion setup includes two MAN 12VD175 IMO Tier III engines that each produce 2,240 kW (3,000 hp) at 1,900 rpm, three Volvo D16C1 532kW generators, a John Deere 6090AFM85 195kW emergency generator, two Marelli 380kWe electric motors, and two Berg 2,900mm propellers.

The propulsion delivers a maximum speed of 18 knots and a cruising speed of 14 knots. Alternatively, the vessel can stay out at sea for 30 days, allowing for extended patrols further out in the North Atlantic or near West Africa.

Kongsberg Maritime supplied the OPV with two folding stabilising fins while the cranes are from Toimil Garcia and Marco.

The onboard spaces include single, double and triple cabins for the crew, recreational areas, laundry areas, compartments for housing detainees, and an infirmary complete with treatment and consultation facilities. All five of the vessel’s decks have ample fire suppression coverage thanks to a water mist system from Ultra Fog.

Equipped with aviation and fast boat facilities

The electronics suite includes thermal imaging cameras and surveillance radars powerful enough to detect small boats.

The vessel can embark two small fast interdiction boats (a Maritime Partner 11.3-metre boat and a nine-metre rigid inflatable boat), a remotely operated vehicle for underwater search missions, and a helicopter.

The fast boats are deployed into and recovered from the sea with the aid of dedicated davits supplied by Ferri.

The helicopter deck meanwhile has a total area of 144 square metres (1,550 square feet) and is also equipped for refuelling.

The OPV can transport four 20-foot ISO containers on the main deck and additional smaller cargo in a hold near the bow.

Fitted out for large-scale disaster response

In addition to the crew, up to 100 rescued survivors can be accommodated on board in a separate holding area with dedicated bathrooms and berths for women and children. This area of the vessel also has a morgue.

Duque de Ahumada will be operated primarily in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bay of Cadiz, where she will conduct missions such as maritime border control, counter-narcotics trafficking patrols, and anti-illegal migration enforcement. She may also be deployed in support of the operations of Frontex, the European Union's border and coast guard agency.

Construction of the new OPV was completed in compliance with Lloyd’s Register class rules and funded partly by the EU.