Kership, subsidiary of Naval Group and Piriou, proposes OPV 50 patrol vessels to Cyprus.

France pushes the sale of two offshore patrol vessels (OPV) to Cyprus, a contract that would amount to 75 million euros for Kership, the subsidiary of Piriou and Naval Group.

OPV 50 (Picture source: Kership)

Cyprus wishes to conclude an agreement with France to make Mari's naval base a regular base for French warships. In this context, Cyprus plans to enlarge this naval base. The French Navy is ready to commit to it but on the condition that Cyprus buys French patrol boats The mission of the Kership OPV 50 is to carry out law enforcement and to monitor the coasts and EEZs (exclusive economic zone) thanks to its great versatility and strong endurance (5,000 nautical miles). France, which will certainly have to make an effort on its proposal on credits and guarantees, must decide quickly. The competition is fierce: Israel, the United States and Italy are also looking for an opportunity to win the defense of the island and its natural resources, including promising gas fields coveted by Turkey.

Kership is a joint venture founded in 2013 by Piriou and Naval Group, two experts in naval engineering, shipbuilding, military systems and services. This partnership is based on the complementary skills and expertise of both companies: Piriou, 50 years of expertise in civil shipbuilding, and Naval Group, a world leader in naval defence markets. Kership offers a range of vessels up to 95 m for law enforcement at sea: navies, coastguard services, customs services, scientific institutes, etc.

Some technical data about the OPV 50:
Length: 58.20 m
Width: 9.50 m
Displacement: 550 tons
Speed: 21 knots
Autonomy: 5,000 Nm at 12 Kts
Hull / superstructure: steel / aluminum

Accommodation capacity: 36 people, including 28 crew members and 8 mission staff
Armament: 1 automatic 20mm gun, 2 12.7mm machine guns