The Government of the Bahamas has contracted both Damen Shipyards and Van Oord to acquire nine vessels for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and construction work for their naval bases.
The project will include the acquisition of a fleet of various vessel types and the upgrading and construction of three bases in the Bahamas. There will be additional dredging works to facilitate the new long range patrol craft and to provide the Defence Force with first class facilities.
New Fleet
The fleet of vessels includes a dedicated roll-on, roll-off landing craft (a 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 a natural disaster. In addition, eight patrol vessels, four of the Damen Stan Patrol 4207 type and another four type SPa 3007, will join the Bahamas’ fleet.
Patrol Vessels
Damen Coastal and Offshore Patrol Vessels are already active in the coastal waters of the USA, Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, Mexico, Honduras, Cape Verde and the Netherlands.
The specialised long range patrol craft are designed to operate in the shallow waters of the Bahamas and will help to plug the gaps in the security network while addressing the concern of local fishermen who have been demanding more protection for this vital sector of the economy.
Bahamas Class Upgrade
Included in the contract is a mid-life upgrade of the Bahamas Class vessels that entered service in 1999. This upgrade will be undertaken in the Bahamas under Damen’s supervision and will extend the operational lifecycle of these vessels for several years.
Partnership with Van Oord
For the Royal Bahamas Defence Force project Damen partners with dredging company Van Oord to deliver the entire package in the shortest possible time frame, commencing in early 2014. The contract 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.
Local Partners
Much of the work to be undertaken by Van Oord will be subcontracted to local partners and will enhance access to Matthew Town in Greater Inagua and Gun Point in Ragged Point. Additional works and marine assets are earmarked in Bimini and Grand Bahamas to ensure the northern zone is also fully protected.
Below you find extra pictures of the naval bases construction work and the vessels (please click the little squares at the bottom right of the album to watch the pictures in their proper dimensions) as well as a video of the project covering both the construction work and the patrol vessels. The picture above is the Stan Lander 5612.
