Coast Guards of German Federal Police take delivery of its third Potsdam-class Offshore Patrol Vessel BP 83.

According to a press release published on November 20, 2019, on the website of the Company Fassmer shipyard, the coastguard unit of the German Federal Police commissioned its third Potsdam-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) BP 83, christened "Bad Düben", during a ceremony held in Cuxhaven, Germany.

The new Potsdam-class Offshore Patrol Vessel BP 83 Bad Düben. (Picture source German Federal Police)

Two vessels of the same type are already in service with the German Federal Police, the FGS Potsdam BP 81 was commissioned on December 14, 2018, followed by the second ship FGS Bamberg (BP 82) on September 18, 2019.

It is the third vessels of this class being built by Germany’s Fassmer Company under a contract from late 2016.

The BP 83 Bad Düben, carrying a crew of 14, had two 12V 26F/4080kW/1000rpm main engines. It has two Caterpillar gensets and two Piening CPP propellers with 2.75 m diameter blades. Potsdam also has unidentified scrubber technology and two transverse thrusters.

The OPVs feature a flight deck that accommodates the Super Puma medium helicopter and has enough storage space for five mission containers. They can also launch and recover two interceptor boats. It has a length of 86.2 m and a width of 13.4 m.

The main armament of the Potsdam-class OPV consists of one Bofors 57 Mk3 from the Company BAE Systems. The gun is mounted at the front deck. The Bofors 57 Mk3 is a versatile naval gun with firepower and range that exceeds expectations when compared with similar, medium calibre naval gun systems. The BAE Systems contract also included accompanying fire control systems as well as systems integration support.

The 57 Mk3 naval gun is also in use with the navies and coast guards of eight nations, including Canada, Finland, Mexico, and Sweden, as well as the United States, where it is known as the Mk110 naval gun.