BMT, Ares team for Qatar Coast Guard order
BMT Nigel Gee (BMT) has teamed with Ares Shipyard (Ares) to deliver 17 patrol boats for the Qatar Coast Guard under a new partnership agreement announced on 23 July. The project will last a period of 5 years, with the first vessel expected to begin sea trials in early 2016.
Ares announced its contract with the Qatar Coast Guard in March. In joining the team, BMT will be responsible for the naval architecture, including hull development and class level design and engineering work on all three sizes of vessel.
The patrol boats will be built from advanced composites in three sizes. Five will be 23m vessels capable of speed in excess of 37 knots; ten will be 33m vessels capable of achieving 30 knots; and two will be 46m also capable of 30 knots.
The vessels have been designed by the team to meet the Qatar Coast Guard’s performance requirements.
Kerim Kalafatoglu, managing director, Ares Shipyard, said: ‘Developing a vessel that far exceeds the customer’s expectations in both looks and, performance, could only be made possible through the effective partnership between BMT and Ares. A challenging project such as this, delivery 17 vessels in total, means that having a reliable and experienced partner such at BMT Nigel Gee is all the more important.’
John Bonafoux, managing director, BMT Nigel Gee, added: ‘We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Ares and for the opportunity to extend and reinforce our expertise in high speed patrol boats. We have worked with Ares on a wide variety of projects and given the demand in the market for such specialist types of vessels, we look forward to developing this relationship further.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Australia commissions HMAS Arafura three-and-a-half years behind schedule]()
Australia commissions HMAS Arafura three-and-a-half years behind schedule
The Royal Australian Navy has finally commissioned the first Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel – more than three years behind schedule – highlighting the programme’s delays, design compromises and ongoing industrial restructuring.
-
![Italy orders two ships as work begins on others along with deliveries and updates]()
Italy orders two ships as work begins on others along with deliveries and updates
The Italian Navy is being refreshed with two new ships ordered, while in the past six months steel was cut for a new frigate, an enhanced frigate was delivered and Horizon-class frigates passed a design review.
-
![US Navy foresees additional delays in the Columbia-class programme]()
US Navy foresees additional delays in the Columbia-class programme
After estimating that the first Columbia-class submarine would be delivered 16 months late, the US Navy has recently confirmed that an additional month will be required to complete its construction.
