French shipbuilder Piriou holds steel cutting ceremony of first Offshore Patrol Vessels OPV 58 S for Senegal.

According to a press release published on October 22, 2020, the French shipbuilder company Piriou has held the steel cutting steel ceremony for the first of three Offshore Patrol Vessels OPV 58 S ordered by Senegal at PIRIOU shipyard in Concarneau, France., October 21, 2020.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Artist rendering of Piriou OPV 58 S Offshore Patrol Vessel. (Picture source Piriou)

Involved in shipbuilding, repair, naval engineering and services since 1965, PIRIOU specializes in producing vessels up to 120 m with high added value through a combination of high-performance engineering and a global network of industrial sites in Europe, Africa, and Asia. With over 480 ships built and delivered worldwide, PIRIOU provides bespoke solutions as well as a complete range of standardized or customized vessels that satisfy the requirements of international ship-owners, whether they be private or public, civilian, or military.

The contract for the three OPV 58 S (Offshore Patrol Vessel) was signed in November 2019 by the Ministry of Armed Forces of Senegal and the PIRIOU group, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Senegal and the French ministerial delegation. The building program of these three patrol vessels is carried out with the support and expertise of PIRIOU’s subsidiary KERSHIP and will spread over a period of 44 months up to summer 2024. It also provides for a support period of several years in Senegal.

The OPV 58 S design is based on a steel and aluminum hull with an overall length of 62 m and a displacement of 550 tones. It features a 360° vision bridge and an aft ramp for the rapid launch and recovery of two rigid-hull inflatable boats. She will have a maximum speed of 21 kt, and an endurance of 25 days, or 4,500 n miles at a speed of 12 kt. The ships will be operated by a crew of 24, with accommodation for an additional 24 personnel.

The OPV 58 S is dedicated to missions such as surveillance, identification and intervention, and perfectly answers the range of missions related to law enforcement. In addition to her deployment ability -intervention RHIBs- she possesses a first rank deterrence capacity thanks to her anti-surface and anti-aircraft weapon systems.

The OPV 58 S will be equipped with MARTE MK2/N anti-ship missiles. With the ability to strike at ranges in excess of 30 kilometers and their fire-and-forget capability, these missiles will provide the means to the Senegalese Navy to enforce their maritime superiority. The vessels will also benefit from the SIMBAD-RC system and its MISTRAL missiles- this combination providing an extremely effective defense capability against all threats including anti-ship missiles, combat aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, as well as small surface threats such as those presented by FIACs. These missiles and missile systems are designed and produced by MBDA.