Security Vessel News Roundup | January 28 – South Korean, Chinese and Turkish frigates, Belgian Navy minehunter and more
Deliveries include two new patrol boats and a guided-missile frigate. Construction is underway on new naval ships for Belgium, Turkey, and South Korea. Finally, a Lithuanian-Danish partnership will develop a new class of multi-role vessels.
New electric patrol boat for Chinese inland waters
The China Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA) recently placed a new patrol vessel into service.
Haixun 10765 was designed for operation in inland waters, where it conduct patrols and search and rescue (SAR) missions.
The vessel has an LOA of 23.98 metres, a beam of 5.1 metres, a draught of only 0.5 metre, a depth of 1.35 metres, and a design speed of 11.8 knots.
Spanish firm to build 15-metre interceptors
Spain's Aresa Shipyard will manufacture examples of an upgraded variant of an existing series of 10-metre interceptor boats.
The newer boats will each measure 15 metres long and will be built from infused composite material to help ensure a higher top speed. There will also be more options for installed defence systems.
Sea trials of the first example in the new series are scheduled to commence during the first quarter of 2025.
South Korea formally begins FFX Batch IV frigate construction program
The South Korean government, through the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), has formally begun a new project wherein two new frigates will be built for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN).
Hanwha Ocean will construct the frigates, which will have the same overall dimensions as the ROKN's earlier Chungnam-class ships but will boast advanced cybersecurity features as well as smart systems that will permit smaller crew complements to be embarked.
Lead ship delivered in Chinese navy's new 054B-class frigate series
The lead ship in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy's new 054B-class frigate program, Luohe (漯河艦), has been handed over in a ceremony at a naval facility in Qingdao Port.
Luohe represents a new generation of frigates independently developed and built by China, with claimed breakthroughs in stealth technology, combat command systems and integrated fire control.
Lithuanian Navy selects local design firm for future patrol vessels
The Lithuanian Navy has selected Lithuanian engineering firm Western Baltic Engineering for the development of a new class of patrol vessels.
The design work on the vessels belonging to the Perkuna ("Thunder") project will be undertaken in cooperation with Danish naval architecture firm OSK Design while construction will take place at the Klaipeda facilities of the Western Shipyard Group.
Croatia launches latest home-grown patrol boat Umag
The ceremonial handover and naming of the Croatian Navy's new coastal patrol boat OOB-32 Umag was held last Friday at the Admiral flote Sveto Letica-Barba barracks in Split.
Following the prototype of the series, OOB-31 Omiš, Umag represents the second coastal patrol boat and the first in a series of a total of five vessels for the Croatian Coast Guard and the Croatian Navy.
Keel laid for Turkish Navy’s fifth Istif-class frigate
Turkey's Anadolu Shipyard has laid the keel of a new guided-missile frigate ordered by the Turkish Navy.
The yet unnamed vessel will be the fifth frigate in the locally built Istif-class. Class lead ship TCG Istanbul was built by Istanbul Naval Shipyard while recently launched sister ship TCG Izmir was also built by Anadolu Shipyard, though all frigates in the Istif-class were designed by STM Defence.
Keel laid for Belgian Navy's fourth City-class mine countermeasures ship
A shipyard in Romania has laid the keel of the future Liege, the fourth of a planned City-class mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels slated for the Belgian Navy.
Upon completion of the vessel's hull, it will be transported to France where it will undergo final outfitting at the facilities of defence shipbuilder the Naval Group.
