Breaking news
On Board Belgian Navy P901 Castor Patrol Vessel / Ready Duty Ship.
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Castor patrol vessel / ready duty ship of the Belgian Navy |
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The Belgian
Navy selected French shipyad SOCARENAM for the Ready Duty Ship (RDS) program.
The first RDS, the P901 Castor was delivered in July 2014. The second,
the Pollux joined its sister-ship in the first half of 2015. The missions
of the RDS include surveillance of the EEZ, illegal fishing control, search
and rescue, and fight against trafficking and pollution. For its missions,
the ship has a crew of 15 and can take about 18 passengers aboard. Two
RHIB, one 9 m in length and one 7.5 m, are placed at the back of the RDS.
The ship also features a panoramic (360°) bridge and an FN Herstal
SeaDeFNder 12.7 mm remotely operated machine gun. |
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Video: On board the Castor patrol vessel of the Belgian Navy |
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The
two Castor class patrol vessels are 53.5 m long and have a displacement
of 569 tons. Its tank carries 70m³ of fuel for its diesel engines.
Its maximum speed is 22 knots and it has a maximum range of more than
4.500 miles at 12 knots. The vessels have a crew of 15 and can take about
18 passengers aboard. |
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