Gowind 2500 Corvette Destined For Egyptian Navy Completes Sea Trials

DCNS has completed sea trials of the first Gowind 2500 corvette designed and built at the company's site in France for the Egyptian navy.

The new corvette is being marketed at the naval defence market, and ten Gowind 2500 vessels are on order with international navies.

The 102m Gowind 2500 has a displacement of 2,600 tons. It carried a SETIS combat system, and a Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module an assembly bringing together the integrated mast with its various sensors as well as the operational centre and its associated technical rooms, DCNS announced Wednesday.

The vessel will carry a crew of 80 personnel including helicopter detachment, has a maximum speed of 25 knots and a range of 3,700 nautical miles at 15 knots. Nine other corvettes are to be constructed in Egypt and Malaysia under technology transfer agreements.

The Gowind 2500 are among several big-ticket items Egypt purchased from France, which also include two Mistral landing helicopter docks (LHD), a DCNS FREMM multi-mission frigate, and 24 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters.

The French government issued U.S. $3.76 billion in loans to back 60% of the cumulative value, with Egypt paying 40% up front from its national funds. The loan will be repaid in installments.