Shipbuilder Naval Group has announced the launch of the first Gowind 2500 corvette for the United Arab Emirates Navy. The vessel is the first of two ships that were ordered by the UAE back in 2019.
The 102m-long ship – named the Bani Yas – was launched from the Naval Group’s shipyard in Lorient, France, and features a combined diesel-electric and diesel-mechanical propulsion system, which can propel the highly maneuverable vessel to a top speed of 25.5kts.
“We are honored to welcome the UAE representatives to our shipyard to attend the launching ceremony of their first Gowind corvette,” commented Alain Guillou, senior executive vice president development at the Naval Group. “These two surface combatants will provide the UAE Navy with new naval capabilities, and this event marks a very important milestone for the program close to the highly symbolic day of the UAE 50th anniversary. The Bani Yas program illustrates Naval Group’s capability to deliver state-of-the-art products to meet specific requirements of the UAE Navy thanks to the most advanced technologies of the SETIS Combat Management System.”
The second corvette is already under construction at the Naval Group shipyard and is scheduled for completion in 2022.