DGA Took Delivery of 2nd Offshore Support & Assistance Vessel BSAH Rhone.

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) accepted delivery of the first BSAH (Bâtiments de Soutien et d’Assistance Hauturiers or offshore support and assistance vessels) "Rhone" built by KERSHIP, a joint venture created by Piriou shipyards and Naval Group, in July 2018.

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) accepted delivery of the second BSAH (Bâtiments de Soutien et d’Assistance Hauturiers or offshore support and assistance vessels) "Rhone" built by KERSHIP. KERSHIP picture.

The third BSAH –the SEINE, will welcome her new military commander next September in Concarneau. Its delivery is scheduled during the first quarter of 2019 and the delivery of the 4th unit - the GARONNE- is due during summer 2019.

The success of this programme for the French Navy is the fruit of the common objective of PIRIOU and Naval Group to create a global leader in civil standard vessels dedicated to state action at sea–coastguards, police, military police, customs...- by implementing industrial complementarities. KERSHIP benefits from Naval Group’s experience on naval defence markets and from PIRIOU’s for civil standards vessels. Involved in several major programmes for the French State, KERSHIP has thus become in a few years the first provider of vessels dedicated to state action at sea for the French Navy.

Also note that
- the BSAH LOIRE, first unit delivered in March 2018,
has just achieved its long-term deployment.
-the BSAH RHONE reached in April 2018 her home port in Brest where the integration of information and command systems were undertaken as well as the contractual and qualification trials together with the state resources provided by the French Defence Procurement Agency and the French Navy.

BSAH Missions
The diversity of the missions led Kership to propose a Supply Vessel with a towing capacity of 80 tons of traction, a navigation speed of 14 knots and a significant endurance of about 30 days without refueling or resuply operations. They will be equipped with an 8 meters boat, several RHIBs and a crane for loading and unloading containers. BSAH will be able to accommodate divers, to carry weapons and ammunitions, to support submarines and surface ships, to tow underwater antennas, as well as to deploy a pollution control dam.

BSAH main caracteritics
Lengrh Overall: 70,30 m
Breadth: 15.80 m
Draft: 5.00 m
Deadweight: approx. 1000 T
Loading area on deck: 250 m²
Speed: 14 knots
Hull / superstructure: Steel
Amenities: 17 (crew) + 12 passengers
Engine: 2 x 2 650 kilowatts
Generators: 2 x 300 kWe