Babcock built OPV to dock at DSEI
Above: LE Samuel Beckett at Babcock Appledore.
Built at Babcock’s Appledore facility in North Devon for the Irish Naval Service, LE Samuel Beckett, will be docked alongside London’s ExCel Arena for the forthcoming DSEI event.
With work on the fourth OPV in the same class, George Bernard Shaw, on schedule and on budget at Appledore, Babcock is now turning its attention to international opportunities to provide OPVs capable of operating in oceans across the world and robust enough, complete with easy-fix systems, to stay mission ready in the most trying circumstances.
The engineering company’s extensive ship design and build portfolio includes an impressive range of innovative vessels including a 50m Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV), a 70m and 90m Offshore Patrol Vessel. With excellent sea-keeping and handling characteristics Babcock built OPVs are ready to meet the challenges faced by modern navies and are designed and maintained to achieve high asset availability.
Added to this is Arrowhead, a 120m General Purpose Frigate, which can meet increasing global demands. With the watchwords of capability, adaptability and flexibility at the heart of its design and operation, it is a frigate for modern navies and will be launched at DSEI 2017.
Craig Lockhart, Managing Director Naval Marine, Babcock said: “The presence of the Babcock built OPV LE Samuel Beckett at DSEI 2017 underlines the collaborative relationship that we have with the Irish Department of Defence and the Irish Naval Service. It provides a fantastic backdrop as we introduce Arrowhead to our portfolio. Arrowhead is the latest product in a proud collection which we believe will reshape the international general purpose frigate market for years to come due to its flexible configuration to meet current and future requirements.
“With experience in OPV build going back decades Babcock is trusted to deliver a flexible innovative approach to the products and services that it supplies – including in-country maintenance support, training or full design and build across a wide specification range from our own or local facilities. This flexibility positions us perfectly to closely address customer needs across a broad range of vessel requirements.”
