Royal Bahamas Defence Force has taken delivery of the fourth of nine vessels for its six-year coastal defence project ‘Sandy Bottom’, which includes vessels, ports and more.
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Five additional vessels to be delivered in the coming months
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) has taken delivery of the fourth
and final Stan Patrol 4207, named HMBS
Rolly
Gray. The four Stan Patrol 4207s form part of the six-year Sandy Bottom
project.
The Stan Patrol 4207s carry a
24-person crew, have a range in excess of 2000 nm and can achieve speeds of 20
knots. As well as their weapons systems
each carries
two RHIBS for fast interception and boarding. The first 4207, HMBS
Arthur Dion Hanna, arrived from the
Netherlands in May 2014, followed by HMBS
Durward
Knowles in July and HMBS
Leon
Livingstone Smith in September 2014.
As well as the
acquisition of a fleet of nine patrol and support vessels of various types, the
Sandy Bottom project includes the upgrading of the existing naval base at Coral
Harbour plus the construction of two new facilities elsewhere in the Bahamas. The
vessel element will include a spares and training package and great emphasis
will be placed on skills transfer to ensure the vessels can be maintained and
operated by Bahamians. Dutch civil engineering company
Van
Oord is undertaking the design, engineering, dredging and construction of the three
ports for the RBDF, including the deepening of access channels and construction
of quay walls, breakwaters, buildings, jetties, moorings and facings.
When
complete the new fleet will include a dedicated roll-on, roll-off landing craft
(a Damen Stan Lander 5612) which will be fitted with a 25 tonne crane and
demountable disaster relief equipment. Special containers will be acquired to
provide emergency relief, medical facilities, desalinated water and sanitary
equipment which will rapidly be deployed in the event of natural disasters. In
addition, four Damen Stan Patrol 3007s Sea Axe type) will join the 4207s to combat
drug smuggling, human smuggling and other illegal activities, as well as
conduct search and rescue operations.
Of the four 3007 Sea Axe patrol vessels, the first is now
nearing completion. The RoRo Damen 5612 is currently under construction at Ha
Long in Vietnam. These vessels will be delivered in the coming months with the
last due for delivery by summer 2016.
Video of ‘Sandy Bottom’ project
https://youtu.be/SUblRaPMDA0