Following a six-year acquisition program, the Government of the Bahamas
has announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to acquire 9 vessels
for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and construction work for their
naval bases. The contract has been placed with Damen Shipyards Group,
headquartered in Gorinchem, the Netherlands.
In announcing the contract, the Minister of National Security, the Hon.
Dr. Bernard Nottage, stressed that his Government was determined to
protect the security and economic well-being of the people of the Bahamas
and this order was a powerful endorsement of this commitment. |
New
fleet
The fleet of vessels includes a dedicated roll-on, roll-off landing
craft (a Stan Lander 5612) which will be fitted with a 25 tonne crane
and demountable disaster relief equipment. Special containers will be
acquired to provide emergency relief, medical facilities, desalinated
water and sanitary equipment which will rapidly be deployed in the event
of a natural disaster. In addition, eight patrol vessels, four of the
Damen Stan Patrol 4207 type and another four type SPa 3007, will join
the Bahamas’ fleet.
Damen Coastal and Offshore Patrol Vessels already operate for years
in the coastal waters of the USA, Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, Mexico,
Honduras, Cape Verde and the Netherlands.
The specialised long range patrol craft are designed to operate in the
shallow waters of the Bahamas and will help to plug the gaps in the
security network while addressing the concern of local fishermen who
have been demanding more protection for this vital sector of the economy.
Bahamas Class upgrade
Included in the contract is a mid-life upgrade of the Bahamas Class
vessels that entered service in 1999. This upgrade will be undertaken
in the Bahamas under Damen’s supervision and will extend the operational
lifecycle of these vessels for several years.
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