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Marty Kauchak*
The Egyptian Navy is embarked on an ambitious acquisition strategy to bolster the nation’s defense capabilities. What is noteworthy about the navy’s efforts to match strategy to its new classes of vessels is the attempt to strengthen its ability to fight-to-win in the different warfare domains throughout the littoral regions. In one instance, a new frigate and four corvette-class ships will provide a “blue water” capability in terms of anti-air warfare and other systems. At the same time, smaller patrol and patrol class vessels will permit the navy to support migrant interdiction, in-shore anti-terrorist operations, and other tasks.
SDArabia‘s team , covered in detail, the transfer on June 23 by the French shipyard DCNS of FREMM Tahya Misr to the Egyptian flag – a major step for the continuation of the crew training and seal trials.The frigate’s intended mission is to further enhance security at the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways worldwide.
As part of a larger military rapprochement between Egypt and France, DCNS has additionally sealed strategic relations with Egypt for the sale of four Gowind 2500 corvettes.
Marion Bonnet, a media relations spokesperson at DCNS, told this author on June 25 her company started cutting metal for the very first Gowind under construction in Lorient this April 16. The company media official confirmed, “Delivery of the first vessel is slated for September 2017, so less than four years to develop it. The three following corvettes will be built from 2016 in Alexandria [Egypt] through a construction technology transfer and should be delivered between September 2018 and July 2019.”
Alexandria Shipyard (ASY) was recently selected by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense to build the next three Gowind 2500 corvettes in that nation. The facility belongs to the Marine Industries and Services Organization of the MoD.
DCNS’ major industrial partners for the Gowind program are Thales, MBDA, SAGEM, MTU, Rolls Royce, as well as Leroy Somer, Caterpillar and TERMA.
The four Gowind vessels’ major weapon systems have been confirmed to include: Oto Melara 76/62 Super Rapid Multi Feeding gun; Reutech 20mm Super Rogue guns (2); MBDA MM 40 Block 3 Exocet anti-ship missiles (8); MBDA VL MICA missiles (16) and DCNS MU90 Torpedoes (4).
The Egyptian Navy’s Gowind 2500 propulsion plant is a "CODLAD" type of architecture (COmbined Diesel Electric and Diesel). It consists of 2 MTU diesel engines and 2 electrical motors connected to the same gearboxes.
Beyond corvettes and a frigate, the service’s acquisition horizon includes the construction of six 35m patrol boats(PBs).
Swiftships’ CEO, Shehraze Shah, told the author this June 24his company is working with Armament & Supply of Egyptian Armed Forces to finalize the commercial contract between Swiftships and Egyptian Ship Repair & Building Company (ESRBC), located in Alexandria. “ESRBC iswhere the 28m Patrol Boats were co-produced with Swiftships for the EgyptianNavy,” he recalled.
Swiftships expects to start the35m Patrol Boat construction program late this year.
While the main subcontractor will be ESRBC, other industry team members for the 35m PB will include Caterpillar (for the engines), SOTEC (for fire and safety), Northrop Grumman (for electronics) andFLIR (for night vision devices).
Given the popularity of 35m and similar classes of vessels in the MENA regions, Shah was asked while at his Washington, DC area office: what is different with the Swiftships PB design that will set this class apart from others?
The industry executive responded, “The Egyptian 35m PB is an affordable and efficient solution for navies and coast guards around the MENA region; the reduced drag and weight of an aluminum hull will make the boat faster and allow clients to achieve the speed desired with less installed horsepower. The life cycle of aluminum vessels is much longer than steel vessels as well, due to the reduced corrosion properties of aluminum. We expect these vessels to serve the
Egyptian armed forces for many years to come.
From a business perspective, this PB contract is another of Swiftships’ “Build, Operate, Transfer” (BOT)initiatives, this time enhancing Egypt’s shipbuilding infrastructure.
Shah noted Egyptian ship construction personnel will expand their competencies in thealuminum shipbuilding trade. In the pastSwiftships has been building the 28m Coastal Patrol Craft, which is a steel mono-hull, with an aluminum superstructure. “Although the ESRBC has builtaluminum vessels before, this will be the largest co-produced there,” he emphasized.
Swiftships provides maintenance and warranty support on Egypt Navy’s 28m vessels, and maintenance on their 25m PBs. Swiftships has also been engaged to provide a plan to refurbish the initial 28m co-production vessels that were delivered in 1983.
SDArabia’s US correspondent
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