Navantia Lays Keel for Moroccan Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel

Spanish Shipbuilder, Navantia has laid the first block of keel for the Moroccan Navy's offshore patrol vessel that is being built in the San Fernando shipyard.

The keel laying has happened in the harrow number three of the San Fernando Shipyard. The placing of the block on the harrow, with the help of cranes, marks the beginning of the construction on the harrow where the ship begins to take shape, while the production of the next blocks continues.

The event was attended by the major colonel of the Moroccan Navy, Mohammed Sallouh, who was received by the president of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez.

The patrol vessel will have a length of 87 metres and an overall width of 13 metres, and will host a crew of 60 people on board. Its construction will involve for the shipyard and the collaborating industry more than one million hours of work.

The construction of this patrol vessel for Morocco also includes a technical-logistical support package including technical training services for the Royal Moroccan Navy in Spain.The patrol vessel is a solution that ensures long periods of deployment at sea with very low operating and life-

cycle costs. To this end, the design of its systems aims to maintain operability, maintainability and reliability with a reduced crew.