Irish DoD receives fourth OPV
The Irish Department of Defence (DoD) has received the fourth new offshore patrol vessel for the Irish Naval Service, the DoD announced on 11 October.
The ship arrived at the Naval Base in Haulbowline, Co Cork, after successful completion of its sea acceptance trials near Babcock Marine’s Appledore Shipbuilding Yard in Devon, UK. The ship will be formally named and commissioned as LÉ George Bernard Shaw at a later date.
The OPVs are 90m long, 2256t and are capable of a maximum speed of 23kt and a range of 6,000 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 15kt.
The Naval Service received the first three ships of class - LÉ Samuel Beckett, LÉ James Joyce and LÉ William Butler Yeats in 2014, 2015 and 2016. A further €67 million contract was signed with Babcock International in June 2016 for an additional vessel, LÉ George Bernard Shaw, to enable the Naval Service to meet its patrol targets while older vessels in the fleet undergo maintenance and upgrade work.
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