Two of Minerva Class OPV For Bangladesh Coast Guard Are 'Undergoing Sea Trials'

Two out of four Bangladesh Coast Guard's Minerva-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) are seen under sea trials in Italy and expected to join the fleet this year 2016.

Photo: Bangladesh Defence

Fincantieri has been awarded the contract with the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) for the supply of four ex-Italian Navy “Minerva” class corvettes to be upgraded and converted into Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), and to provide the related logistics support services. On 29 June the two units arrived at Fincantieri’s dock in Genoa, where the upgradation and conversion activities has been done and the task had finished at the naval shipyard in LaSpezia. Currently two of upgraded ships are following extensive sea trials after which the units will be handed over by Fincantieri to the Coast Guard of Bangladesh.

Fincantieri is already working to refurbish and modify the first two of four former Italian Navy corvettes that have been ordered by Bangladesh. The ships are being converted into Offshore Patrol Vehicles. (Fincantieri photo)

Name: 

• BCGS Syed Nazrul - Pennant number: PL-71
• BCGS Tajuddin - Pennant number: PL-72

Bangladesh Coast Guard had placed an order for four off-the-shelf Minerva-class corvette of Italian Navy last year. After extensive refitting process those are converted to Offshore Patrol Vessel as per the needs of Bangladesh Coast Guard. These units are the decommissioned Italian Navy corvettes. These 4 large OPVs surely increase the operational capabilities of Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Ships Specifications:

Length:             87m
Displacement:  1300 tonnes
Beam:              10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught:           3.2–4.8 m (10–16 ft)
Propulsion:       2 Diesel Motor

                        GrandiMotori Trieste BM-230.20 DVM  

                        Output 11.000 hp (8.203 kW)
Speed:             25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range:            3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 18 knots

                       (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:  7 officers, 113 men
 

Sensors and systems:

Radar: AA/ASu-Radar Selenia SPS-774 (RAN 10S) E/F Band 1 SMA SPS-728 Navigation radar
 

Sonar: Raytheon/Elsag DE-1167

Italian Navy Test Fires Vulcano Ballistic Extended Range Projectiles

On 6 March 2014, the Italian Navy carried out a number of firing trials on board the frigate Bersagliere to test the 127/54 C gun equipped with Vulcano-Kit (V-kit). The firing trials, conducted with 127 Vulcano Ballistic Extended Range (BER) ammunition, proved to be successful, with projectiles achieving a range of over 38 km. The field of fire was limited to 40 km for security reasons.

Oto Melara has conducted firing tests of the Ballistic Extended Range Vulcano 127 projectile designed for the 127/46 gun mounted on the Italian FREMM and German F125 frigates. Photo: Oto Melara/

The Vulcano BER ammunition used in the firing trials are part of a pre-production lot; the production-line qualification is underway on a first pilot lot of ammunition. It is the first time a military ship, not equipped with the naval gun systems used in the Second World War, has reached such ballistic ranges. Vulcan BER ammunition provide very accurate and high precision firing actions at ranges beyond 60 km.

Commenting on the successful test OTO Melara said it is ready to supply Vulcano BER ammunition to the Navies employing the new 127/64 LW weapon system and those employing the previous version 127/54 C naval gun with the V-kit upgrade.

Vulcano 127 has already performed firing testing verifying the enhanced ballistic characteristics of the projectile. The one in the photo is the 127mm Guided Long Range projectile, showing the canard section and GPS/INS guidance and advanced multi-mode fuse section installed in the nose. Photo: Oto Melara 

In addition to the BER variant, Vulcano guided ammunition family also include the Guided Long Range (127GLR) and Semi Active Laser (GLR-SAL) guided versions, which will be available on board ships for firing trials starting from next year. The entire family of trajectory-corrected and guided projectiles will be able to conduct naval fire support at ranges from 35 km up to over 100 km, utilizing the OTO Melara naval guns systems.