Expodefensa 2025: OPV 93 offshore patrol vessel strengthens Colombia's maritime security in two oceans.

Colombia has presented its new OPV 93 offshore patrol vessel at Expodefensa 2025 in Bogota, a 93-meter, 2,665-ton POC class ship designed and built by COTECMAR. Built on a fully national design with extended range, aviation facilities, and modular mission capacity, the ship is intended to tighten control over the Caribbean and Pacific while signaling Latin America’s push for greater naval industrial autonomy.

Presented as it enters its final outfitting phase, Colombia’s new OPV 93 offshore patrol vessel, the lead unit of the Patrullero Oceánico Colombiano class, took center stage at Expodefensa 2025 in Bogota. Designed and built by state-owned shipbuilder COTECMAR in Cartagena, the 93-meter, 14-meter beam platform evolves the earlier OPV 80 design with greater displacement, a 10,000 nautical mile range, and endurance of up to 40 days for blue water patrols across both of Colombia’s maritime fronts.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) 93, the first of the Patrullero Oceánico Colombiano class, is fully developed and built in Cartagena. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) 93, the first of the Patrullero Oceánico Colombiano class, is fully developed and built in Cartagena. Its dimensions reach 93 metres in length for a beam of 14 metres and a draft of 4.1 metres, with a displacement of around 2,665 tonnes at maximum load. The hull and superstructure result from a series of hydrodynamic tests carried out in particular, at the HSVA centre in Hamburg, leading to improved seakeeping characteristics and a reduction of radar signature. The increase in payload capacity compared to the OPV 80 patrol vessel provides a useful margin of growth for varied missions such as counter-illicit trafficking, exclusive economic zone surveillance, environmental protection, and humanitarian assistance.

Propulsion is based on a combined diesel configuration, known as combined diesel and diesel propulsion (CODAD), associated with an optimised diesel electric option, called combined diesel electric or diesel propulsion (CODELOD). The plant comprises four 2,200 kilowatt engines and two 4,800 kilowatt shafts, complemented by two 630 kilowatt generator sets. Two controllable-pitch propellers provide main propulsion, supported by a bow thruster rated at more than 390 kilowatts, which improves manoeuvrability in complex coastal areas. Speed reaches 18 knots and can exceed 20 knots depending on configuration, with an endurance of forty days for 64 persons and a stated range of ten thousand nautical miles at cruising speed. This endurance authorises prolonged deployments between the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Aviation facilities occupy a central place in the design. The flight deck accommodates helicopters of eleven tonnes, such as the Bell 412, and can receive aircraft of a higher category, such as the SeaHawk, when the Colombian Navy decides to do so. The hangar located below the deck facilitates storage and maintenance, while the integration of systems for unmanned aerial vehicles extends maritime surveillance beyond the horizon. These platforms enhance early detection, monitoring of maritime traffic, and coordination with other units engaged in maritime security.

The aft section includes a ramp enabling rapid launch of a 38-foot aluminium interception craft, produced in cooperation with SAFE Boats International. Two additional seven-metre boats are also deployable by davit, increasing flexibility for boarding, rescue, or coastal control operations. The ship can also embark two twenty-foot ISO containers used as specialised modules for medical, environmental, or tactical command missions. The accommodation capacity reaches 109 persons, including a crew of 64 sailors and an additional detachment for specific deployments. Interior arrangements are designed to meet the requirements of mixed detachments and to improve comfort during long patrols.

The armament is structured to cover a wide range of situations. The main gun is a 76 millimetre Oto Melara mounted under a shield designed to reduce radar signature and protect the crew. A remotely operated 25 millimetre turret is installed above the hangar, complemented by two 12.7 millimetre heavy machine guns on the sides. Light 7.62 millimetre weapons equip the bridge wings for close-range approaches. The aft area is reserved for possible integration of anti-ship missiles such as the LIG Nex1 SSM 700K C Star, if the Colombian Navy chooses to strengthen strike capabilities. The locally developed fire control system is intended to evolve into a light combat management system able to integrate sensors and communications within a unified architecture.

Sensors include a digital navigation and surface surveillance radar developed with Virtualabs, as well as electro-optical systems for target tracking and reconnaissance. Data links ensure the transmission of information to naval command and associated units, contributing to regional maritime coordination. Support facilities include roll stabilisation systems, a five-tonne deck crane and full at-sea transfer capabilities, including lateral and vertical replenishment.

The presence of the OPV 93 at Expodefensa indicates the growing role of COTECMAR in the naval sector. The shipbuilder shows that it is able to supply a modular and evolutive platform likely to interest other Latin American navies seeking to reinforce their strategic autonomy. The spread of this type of ship, based on a national design, reflects a regional trend towards a more integrated and export oriented naval industry.