Israel Shipyards Launched a New Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) for the Cyprus Navy

 

In a project valued at tens of millions of Euros, the OPV carrying high-end systems will be delivered to the Cypriot Navy towards the end of 2017, to be used for Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) protection

 

The OPV was unveiled and launched at a ceremony held last week at Israel Shipyards' facility at Haifa Bay in Israel – in the presence of senior members of the Cypriot Ministry of Defence, representatives of SIBAT (Israel MOD), and the management and employees of the company. The OPV was ordered in December 2015 and will be delivered to Cyprus towards the end of the year.

 

The new OPV has a displacement of 430 tons, an overall length of 62 meters, a maximum speed of 32 knots, and carries up to 30 crewmembers plus a Special Forces unit. Installed on the vessel are multiple sophisticated systems including 2 Rafael Typhoon Weapon Stations, advanced radar, electro-optical payloads, communications systems including satellite communications, navigation systems, command and control systems, and more.