U.A.E. Navy Receives First Gowind Corvette 'Bani Yas'

The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) celebrated the delivery ceremony of its first Naval Group-built Gowind corvette Bani Yas in Lorient, France, on October 21.

The Bani Yas corvette stands as the inaugural unit of two Gowind corvettes commissioned by the U.A.E. from Naval Group in 2019 and constructed in Lorient. Launched in December 2021, the Bani Yas set sail from Lorient on October 23, 2023, with an expected arrival in the U.A.E. scheduled for early December. Its counterpart, the Al Emarat, launched on May 13, 2022, at Naval Group's Lorient facility, is poised to commence sea trials shortly.

The Gowind 2500 corvette boasts a length of 102 meters and a full-load displacement of approximately 2,800 tons. Manned by a crew of 65 sailors, the onboard accommodation is designed to house up to 15 Special Forces operators. Notably, the aviation facilities enable the deployment of a 10-ton class helicopter and an S-100 UAV.

Featuring a Combined Diesel-Electric and Diesel-Mechanical (CODED) propulsion system, the corvette incorporates two diesel engines (MTU) and two electric engines (Leroy-Somer), delivering a propulsive power of 10 MW. This configuration empowers the corvettes to achieve a maximum speed surpassing 25 knots. In terms of operational range, they can cover a distance of 3,700-4,500 nautical miles at 15 knots.

The Gowind corvettes destined for U.A.E. are set to be heavily armed, equipped with multiple rocket launchers designed for coastal fire support. Key features include Naval Group's advanced SETIS combat management system, MBDA's Exocet missile, and Raytheon's Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles.