VESSEL REVIEW | P203 & P204 – Nigerian Navy welcomes new 76-metre offshore patrol vessels into service
P203 and P204 are two offshore patrol vessels built by Turkey's Dearsan Shipyard for the Nigerian Navy under a contract signed on November 3, 2021. The ships were ordered as part of Nigeria's 2021–2030 fleet renewal plan for patrol, surveillance and interdiction work in the Gulf of Guinea.
The second ship, P204, completed its first set of sea trials in early March 2025 and was reported to have reached approximately 30 knots. Both vessels were scheduled for delivery to Nigeria during 2025.
The programme has a total reported value of US$160 million, equating to an estimated US$80 million for each ship; US$35 million was paid initially in June 2022. Completion was scheduled for within 37 months of the contract signing. The Nigerian Navy began the procurement process in August 2021, and then-President Muhammadu Buhari approved the contract that followed.
Dearsan held a joint keel-laying ceremony for the two hulls at its yard in Tuzla, Istanbul, on September 16, 2022. P203 was launched on October 26, 2023, and P204 followed on April 19, 2024.
Versatile multi-role platforms for use in the Gulf of Guinea
At the time of the order, Admiral Awwal Gambo described the ships as a milestone in implementing the fleet renewal plan. He identified maritime interdiction, observation, special-forces missions and naval fire support among the vessels' roles.
"The OPVs will also be capable of conducting search and rescue operations, anti-piracy, anti-smuggling and anti-drug trafficking operations and disaster relief operations among others," Gambo said.
Dearsan CEO Murat Gordi said the project would strengthen relations between Nigeria and Turkey through technology transfer and expertise. The shipbuilder said the ships were designed, integrated and constructed in-house to meet Nigerian Naval Forces Command requirements, and said they would be fitted with indigenous systems. Construction was carried out through a joint venture with Gülhan Shipyard.
Each OPV is 76.8 metres (252 feet) long, with 11-metre (36-foot) beams and draughts of 2.9 metres (9.5 feet). Displacement is put at about 1,200 tonnes in the design specification and at 1,100 tonnes in the sea-trial reporting.
The hull is steel, specified as AH-36 grade, and the superstructure is Sealium aluminium. The ships were built to Türk Loydu classification standards.
Armament and equipment fitout optimised for low-intensity security missions
Propulsion is via four MAN 18VP185 diesel engines driving controllable-pitch propellers, with three diesel generator sets for electrical power. Design top speed is given as 26 knots in the original specification and as 28 knots in later descriptions of the vessels. P204's reported 30-knot figure came from its first trials off Turkey and sits above both published design speeds; the trial conditions, loading and sea state were not reported alongside it.
At cruising speed, the design specification states a range of 3,000 nautical miles, with endurance of up to 16 days. The ships were bought to stay on station for extended patrols over offshore oil and gas infrastructure and fishing grounds, with the diesels providing a burst of speed for interdiction.
Aviation facilities consist of a flight deck aft sized for a medium helicopter. Dearsan's original concept imagery showed an SH-60 Seahawk on the deck, but Oryx assessed that the Nigerian Navy's AW109 helicopters were the more likely users. The navy already operates AW109s from its Chinese-built P-18N offshore patrol vessels, including NNS Unity.
For boarding and interdiction work, the ships carry two rigid inflatable boats. Boat operations are central to the mission set described by Nigerian officials, covering counter-smuggling, counter-piracy, fisheries protection and counter-narcotics stops on merchant and fishing traffic.
The combat system is built around the Havelsan Advent combat management system, with operator consoles from Yaltes and an integrated platform management system for machinery and damage control. In Turkey, Nigerian Navy personnel have been receiving instruction in the Abramak IP-based integrated communication system, which is to be installed on both vessels.
The weapons and sensor fit include a Leonardo 40mm Marlin gun at the bow, an Aselsan 30mm remotely controlled gun positioned at the stern, two Aselsan 12.7mm remote weapon stations, a GEM Elettronica 2D surface-search radar and an electro-optical fire-control system. The result is a ship optimised for constabulary work rather than surface combat.
The design is described as modular, with provision to add sensors and weapons as requirements change. The modular approach is presented as a way of holding down acquisition cost while leaving room for a heavier fit later. On the sensor side, the difference between a 2D surface-search set and a 3D search radar would be material for any future air defence upgrade.
Most of the fitted systems are Turkish, or Turkish-integrated in the case of the Italian-origin Marlin gun and GEM Elettronica radar. Havelsan, Aselsan and Yaltes account for the combat management, weapons, sensors and consoles. This concentration of Turkish equipment fits the technology-transfer element of the contract, under which Nigerian personnel are being trained on the installed systems in Turkey before delivery.
