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Damen's 2nd
Generation OPV
Picture: Damen |
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Mr Van Rooijcomments:
“Today OPVs don’t engagein combatsituationsas often as frigates
do, however, fast and effective coordination during a ‘chase’
is essential for an OPV.”
The Multi-Mission Hangar (MM Hangar) is capable of storing an 11-tonne
NH-90 helicopter and aUAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) such as the Boeing
ScanEagle®. The MM Hangar has been designed so that the OPV crew
can deploy either the helicopter or the UAV without having to move either
one.Furthermore,there is space for a spare parts store and workshop
for both the helicopter and UAV.
The Damen OPV 2nd generation is available as a standard in four series
[sizes]:
• 75 meter – 1400 tonnes
• 85 meter– 1800 tonnes
• 95 meter– 2400 tonnes
• 103 meter – 2600 tonnes
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Multi Mission
Bridge
Picture: Damen |
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The Bridge directly
adjoins the Command & Control Centre (C&C Centre), ensuring
easy and fast communication. Depending on the mission and the situation,
the C&C Centre can be separated from the Bridge by means of a blinded
sliding door. This will ensure that the C&C crew can fully focus
on their tasks without being distracted, for instance during the tasking
and planning phases of a mission.
When creating the recognized service picture, the C&C Centre will
be in charge of collecting all necessary data. When targets on the radar
cannot be identified, the C&C Centre officers
can directly deploy an RHIB to visually identify the unknown target.
The actual engagement phase or ‘chase’, requires a lot of
coordination and thus the number of activities per minute on the bridge
normally is very high. On the new Damen OPV, the C&C officers will
be able to see the situation with their own eyes directly from the C&C
Centre, after the blinded sliding door has been lowered, taking away
communication moments. This reduces the workload on the crew involved,
which is beneficial for the operation.
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Multi-Mission
Bay
Pictures: Damen |
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“Take what
you need and leave the unnecessary.”
This approach makes the OPV-2 versatile and mission focused. Missions
can be related to such like humanitarian aid, counter-piracy, -terrorism
and -drugs, anti-mining warfare (AMW), oil spill recovery, fishery inspection,
search & rescue (SAR) and also everyday border security. For these
missions different types of equipment is necessary.
The Multi-Mission Bay makes it possible to store dedicated equipment
for the mentioned multifarious missions and even more. Mission modules
(dedicated containers) can be lifted into the Multi-Mission Bay, through
the helicopter deck.
If necessary, equipment stored in the mission modules (ROV, sonar, etc.),
can be lowered into the water through the two PS and SB stern hatches.
Also one of the two 9 meter RHIBs is stored in the Multi-Mission Bay.
A small slipway makes ultrafast RHIB deployment possible, while sailing.
Also quick recovery of the RHIB in sea states up to 6 BF is possible.
A quick connecting hook takes in the RHIB quick and efficiently. A painter
line is superfluous.
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Damen's 2nd
Generation OPV is fitted with multi mission bridge, hangar and bay
Picture: Damen |
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Today’s high-tech
and pioneering OPVs have “eyes in the sky”.
Surveillance from the sky is essential for taking situation awareness
to a higher level. Apart from a large helicopter, the Multi-Mission
Hangar can store an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) like the Boeing ScanEagle.
Inside the Multi-Mission Hangar, the UAV can also be maintained in a
dedicated UAV-workshop. Launching and recovery of the UAV is carried
out from the helicopter deck. Constant communication between the UAV
and the Multi-Mission Bridge assures that all details in the area are
spotted. The new OPV can handle helicopters up to 11 tons, like the
NH-90. The hangar is large enough to store large helicopters and also
to execute maintenance. Also the hangar is equipped with a helicopter
spare parts store and workshop.
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