Egyptian Navy takes delivery of second El Fateh-class corvette ENS Port Said 976.

According to a Tweet published on January 7, 2020, by Mahmoud Gamal, the second Gowind-2500 El Fateh-class class corvette ENS Port Said 976 has officially joined the Egyptian navy. The corvette was built in 2018 by the Egyptian military-owned Alexandria shipyard in cooperation with the French Company DCNS, now Naval Group, under a technology transfer contract.
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The official ceremony of the handover by the Egyptian Navy of the second Gowind-2500 class corvette ENS Port Said 976. (Picture source Twitter Mahmoud Gamal)

In 2014, Egypt signed a contract with DCNS now Naval Group for the purchase of four Gowind 2,500-ton corvettes with an option for two more. The contract included the necessary technology transfer; given that DCNS’ partner Alexandria Shipyard would build three of the vessels in Egypt. Construction of the second vessel started in April 2016, in Egypt.

On March 17th, 2017, DCNS has announced the success of the first sea trials of the first-of-class Gowind® 2500 corvette under construction in Lorient, France by DCNS. In September 2016, DCNS launched the very first GOWIND 2500 corvette for the Egyptian Navy. The float out took place at the Lorient naval shipyard one day after the launch of FREMM Bretagne for the French Navy. The first steel cut of the Egyptian Navy corvette took place on April 16, 2015.

The Gowind 2500 multi-mission corvette is designed for surveillance, surface and subsurface combat, protection and escort naval missions. It can also perform presence, maritime surveillance and policing missions against trafficking and piracy.

The ENS El Fateh (971) is the lead ship of the Egyptian Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy. She was commissioned on 22 September 2017.

The El Fateh-Class Corvette is powered by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system including two MTU diesel engines and two electric engines. The ship can reach a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) with a cruising range of 3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). She has an endurance of 21 days and a crew of 65 sailors. The corvette is also able to accommodate 15 Special Forces.

The El Fateh-Class Corvette is armed with one OTO Melara 76 mm or Bofors 57 mm gun main gun, two Nexter Narwhal 20 mm or MSI DS30M 30 mm cannon, 8 – 16 VLS (Vertical Launching System) for MICA VL air defense missile, 4 – 8 × Exocet or Naval Strike Missile anti-ship missile and two triple torpedo launchers.