Nigerian Navy takes delivery of high caliber Patrol Boats

Chinazor Megbolu |

The Nigerian Navy is set to take delivery of two patrol boats from the builders,Ocea.

The shipbuilding, surface ship
French shipyard, Ocea sent the two newly built ships namely; the FPB110 NNS SOKOTO (P193) and the C-Falcon 2 (P272) interceptor boat to Nigeria.

The report obtained from the Navy website stated that the two ships are being ferried aboard a cargo ship in La Rochelle on 25th October 2020 and will arrive Lagos in November, 2020.

The report stressed that the C-Falcon 2 (P272) interceptor boat is the first of four, the other three vessels will be delivered shortly, says Ocea.

According to the security agency; “four additional vessels will also leave OCEA shipyard in early December for delivery to Nigeria.

“Thanks to the continuous Integrated Logistics Support that OCEA has put in place for the Nigerian Navy, the fleet of boats built by OCEA is and will remain in operation on a daily basis to the complete satisfaction of the customer”.

The Navy pointed out that the C-Falcon 2 boats is 17 meters long and 3.6 meters wide, and a top speed of 45 to 55 knots with a range of 260 miles at 25 knots.

It is crewed by four sailors including an officer and can carry 16 commandos under the bridge.

The organisation also said that the ramp at the front will allow for beach landings, adding that the C-Falcon interceptor vessel can undertake several littoral missions like escort, patrol and offensive missions, boarding operations and personnel insertion.

“It can be fitted with a remotely operated turret.

While the FPB 110 MKII multi-purpose fast patrol boat featuring a monohull, which improves the vessels performance and durability.

“The boats superstructure and hulls was constructed using aluminium.

With a length of 35 meters, width of 7.1 meters and draft of 1.7 meters, It is crewed by eleven personnel.

Thee boat can also accommodate a further six people,” the report said.

However, they maintained that Nigerian FPB 110 MK II can be armed with a 20 mm or 30 mm naval gun operated remotely or manually.

It stressed further that it can also mount two heavy machine guns to engage speed boats and other surface targets as well.

Meanwhile, Ocea is also building one 60 metres OCEA OSV 190 SC-WB a hydrographic research vessel (NNS LANA), which was launched in September and may be delivered later this year or 2021.

Recall that Ocea has built and supplied eleven vessels to the Nigerian Navy over the last eight years, some of which includes; one OCEA FPB 98 MKI, eight OCEA FPB 72 MKII and two OCEA FPB 110 MKII.