OPV 2600 is the longest of four new, second-generation offshore patrol vessels designed by Damen Shipyards to support a wide variety of missions conducted by naval forces and coastguards.
The vessel is ideal for anti-mining warfare, search and rescue, border security, exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surveillance, humanitarian aid, fishery inspection and oil spill recovery tasks. It can also be deployed to combat piracy, terrorism and drugs.
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The other three newly-designed, second-generation offshore patrol vessels are OPV 1400, OPV 1800 and OPV 2400.
Damen second-generation OPV 2600 design and features
The second-generation OPV 2600 features an efficient and versatile design. Its long and slender hull with Sea Axe bow provides reduced water resistance, comfortable sailing in stormy sea state conditions and superior sea-keeping capability at high speeds.
The vessel has an overall length of 103m, beam of 14.4m, draught of 4m and displacement of 2,600t. It is operated by a crew of up to 60 members while an additional 48 personnel can be carried in the 320m² multi-role compartment.
It can carry two 9m-long rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) for visual identification of unknown targets around surrounding waters. The boats can be deployed and recovered through a small stern slipway. A quick-connecting hook enables efficient recovery of the boat under sea state conditions up to 6BF.
Facilities on board the Damen offshore patrol vessel
The new offshore patrol vessel incorporates three new features including multi-mission bridge, multi-mission helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hangar, and multi-mission bay.
The telescopic hangar houses one NH-90 helicopter, weighing 11t, as well as one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), such as a Boeing ScanEagle. It has a 25m-long and 14.4m-wide helicopter flight deck with refuelling capability for launch and recovery of the air vehicle. The hangar also features a dedicated UAV workshop and a helicopter spare parts store and workshop for maintenance.
The standard multi-mission bay is designed to hold different types of equipment required for a variety of missions. It stores one of the two RHIBs and accommodates up to five dedicated mission module containers, which can be loaded through the helicopter deck. There are also two PS and SB hatches located at the stern of the vessel to deploy equipment, such as remotely-operated underwater vehicles (ROV) and sonar.
Command and control centre
The command and control (C2) centre of the new OPV is placed directly next to the standard multi-mission bridge, facilitating easy and fast communication. It can be separated from the bridge using a blinded sliding door. Situational awareness in the C2 centre can be improved by lowering the sliding door.
Weapons and communication equipment on board the OPV 2600
The Damen OPV 2600 offshore patrol vessel is fitted with one 76mm main gun and two 20mm secondary guns.
Sensors and communication systems on board the vessel include electro-optical (EO) fire control sensor, X- and S-band radars, surveillance radar, autopilot, speedlog, F77 communications system, echo sounder, Navtex, Gyro and Satcom C, as well as ultra-high-frequency and high-frequency receivers.
Propulsion and performance of the offshore patrol vessel
The base version of the OPV 2600 vessel is powered by four engines, which have a capacity of 2,350kW each. It is also fitted with two 3m controllable-pitch propellers and one bow thruster with a 450kW, E-motor fixed-pitch propeller.
The vessel has a maximum speed of 26k, a range of 7,000nmi and an endurance of 40 days.
