Fincantieri has delivered Thursday (Aug4) at its shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia) the first two units part of the supply contract of four Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), to the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG), through the upgrading and conversion of the “Minerva” class corvettes, decommissioned by the Italian Navy. These are the “Minerva” and “Sibilla” vessels, renamed “SYED NAZRUL” and “TAJUDDIN”, which have been retired from the national fleet in May 2015 and shortly after arrived at Fincantieri’s dock in Genova, where the upgrading and conversion activities started. The units have been completed at the naval shipyard in La Spezia.
Bangladesh Coast Guard patroll vessel CGS Tajuddin (PL 72) - Image courtesy: Bangladesh Coast Guard
Attending the ceremony, among others, MD Mozammel Haque Khan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Rear Adm. AMMM Aurangzeb Chowdhury, Commander in Chief of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, while Fincantieri was represented by Alberto Maestrini, Deputy General Manager and Senior Vice President Naval Vessels. Present for the Italian Navy, the Logistics Commander, Vice Admiral Donato Marzano and the MARINA NORD Commander, Rear Admiral Roberto Camerini.
In keeping with the Bangladeshi tradition, the signing of the ships’ delivery was preceded by the reading of a passage of the Koran.
Together with "Urania" and "Danaide", scheduled for delivery next year after the same upgrading and conversion activities, these vessels will form the backbone of the Bangladesh Coast Guard’s fleet, with an extension of the lifespan by more than twenty years.
The units will be used to patrol the country's maritime boundaries and traffic in its Exclusive Economic Zone, with capabilities to contain environmental pollution and to rescue and assist civilians in the case of humanitarian emergencies. This contract confirms, therefore, the ability of Fincantieri – the only one among the suppliers of naval vessels – to offer tailor-made solutions for every Navy and Coast Guard, according to individual needs and characteristics, by developing new projects or, alternatively, thanks to the precious support of the Italian Navy, by performing in-depth and strict refitting process on second-hand units.
Within the development of Fincantieri business in the Far East, this agreement is moreover particularly relevant for the supply of after-sales services for naval vessels, because it allows to provide a full range of services for both the platform and the combat system: from industrial Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Conversions to those related to the Life Cycle Management of the vessels, both through the supply of Integrated Logistic Support services, usually developed during construction or conversion, and of In Service Support activities, performed after the delivery, during the operation of the vessels.
Source: Fincantieri