Keel laying UAE Navy Corvette

The biggest ever naval construction project in the Arabian Gulf Region was officially launched today with the keel laying ceremony of a Corvette at Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB).

The vessel is one of six being built by ADSB for the UAE Navy. The ?Baynunah? class vessels are highly advanced 71 metre multi-mission corvettes that will be fitted with cutting edge combat systems with the capability to perform a wide range of military operations, including defence against both air and surface threats. They are designed by the French company, Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN). The First of Class vessel is being built at CMN?s Cherbourg yard under subcontract from ADSB and the remaining five will be built at ADSB?s yard in Abu Dhabi.

The first part of the construction involves building blocks of steel structure that will be joined together at a later stage to form the hull of the vessel. In today?s ceremony, a 23.7 metre block weighing 66 tonnes was lowered into position in the ADSB Assembly Halls.

Designated C201, the block, which will be in a central position in the completed vessel, will contain machinery and engineering spaces for mechanical systems. The Corvette will be launched between two and three years from now.

As the Baynunah program gathers pace, ADSB will be building five vessels simultaneously. Work on the second Corvette to be built in Abu Dhabi has also begun with steel cutting.

ADSB?s CEO William Saltzer said: “The keel laying is a major milestone for ADSB. Having this event take place on the same day that we are also starting to cut steel for the next ?Baynunah? Corvette demonstrates the excellent capabilities that have been developed here in Abu Dhabi for both high quality and high volume production of sophisticated naval vessels.

The ADSB yard is undergoing further expansion to cater for the volume of work generated by the ?Baynunah? program and a number of other projects that are being undertaken by the company. The expansion includes additional steel and fabrication facilities, dry berths and warehousing.