On Wednesday, September 2, 2020, Brodosplit Shipyard laid the keels for Hull 541 and 542, a series of coastal patrol vessels contracted for the Croatian Ministry of Defense.
“After the delivery of the prototype of the coastal patrol vessel as part of the Coast Guard, I am pleased to announce that, in cooperation with Brodosplit Shipyard, we continue the construction of the remaining coastal patrol vessels. I would like to emphasize that the completion of this project will significantly improve the abilities of the Coast Guard in implementing the permanent monitoring of the territorial sea and the protected ecological-fishing zone of the Republic of Croatia,” stated Mario Banožić, Minister of Defense.
With 43.16 meters in length and 8 meters in width, the vessels will be equipped with basic armor of all contemporary coastal guards, the 30-mm automatic gun, two manually operable 12.7-mm machine guns, and four portable air defense rocket systems.
LAYS KEEL FOR COASTAL PATROL VESSELS
40% of the funds invested in the project will be returned to the state budget
“I thank the Minister for supporting this project, and the continuation of the construction of coastal patrol vessels. This is a win-win situation, where the State, i.e. Croatian Navy, will receive coastal patrol vessels that are among the best in their class in the world, and at an extremely affordable price. Also, 40% of the funds spent will return to the state budget very quickly. When the multiplicative effect is added to that, the benefits for GDP are even greater. On the other hand, Brodosplit, in cooperation with the experts from the Ministry of Defense, has gained a reference and the ability to offer similar and even larger vessels on the world market as well,” emphasized Tomislav Debeljak, President of the Board of Brodosplit.
The hull of coastal patrol vessels will be built of high-strength AH36steel, while the superstructure will be made of aluminum alloy. They are ensured unsinkability in the event of flooding two adjacent compartments in the hull (e.g.in the event of flooding of both engine rooms, the ship will not sink).
Vessels are equipped with protection against nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) operation with a specialized system for NBC filtration ventilation and sealing of the vessel’s working and living spaces. They will be equipped with a stern ramp and a 7.7-meter-long rigid hull sailing boat for 6 crew members with a propulsion diesel engine that allows speeds of up to 40 knots and a sailing autonomy of 60 NM.
“I am especially pleased with the fact that these vessels will be produced in the Croatian shipyard, enabling the Ministry of Defense and the Croatian Army to contribute to the overall economic development of our country. The Ministry of Defense will provide full support, as well as other representatives of the Croatian defense industry, said Minister Banožić.
The capacity of the vessels is 16 people with a sailing autonomy of 10 days. They are very capable of pursuit and achieve speeds of up to 29 knots, which are provided by the main engines of 2 x 2525 kW. They are equipped with an active rocking stabilization system that allows the ship to be fully operational at sea level 4 and meet NATO maritime criteria (STANAG 4154).
A special feature is the optimization of the vessels’ systems, where one fuel loading enables sail of up to 1000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. Optimized fuel consumption due to the innovative design of the hull shape and excellent sailing properties allows very efficient use, which achieves significant savings compared to similar vessels. The introduction into the operational use of coastal patrol vessels is a continuation of the projects of modernization and development of new abilities of the Croatian Navy.
