22 Feb 2023; MEMO: A shipping company in the UAE is to deliver a fleet of naval corvettes to Angola following the signing of a €1 billion deal. The deal was announced yesterday during this week's IDEX defence show in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) company will deliver a fleet of BR71 Mk II corvettes to the Angolan Navy. The vessel is an advanced variant of the Baynunah class (BR 71 design) corvette. It is reportedly designed for inshore defence operations such as patrolling, law enforcement, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The corvette can also tackle air and surface missile threats.
With a crew of 50 and a maximum speed of 30 knots, the warships each carry a 5 ton class helicopter on a rear deck and two six metre rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs). Their defence capabilities include a 76 or 57 mm cannon, two 20 or 30 mm cannons, and the ability to launch Exocet anti-ship missiles and surface-to-air missiles.
"The BR71 Mk II corvette is a highly advanced vessel capable of performing multiple missions to secure Angola's 1,600 km coastline," explained David Massey, the CEO of ADSB. "We look forward to fulfilling the Angolan Navy's operational requirements and strengthening their naval capabilities while expanding ADSB's avenues of growth."
Khalid Al-Breiki, a senior executive at Edge, the parent company of ADSB, hailed the signing of the deal as "a momentous achievement" for both companies. "This demonstrates our strategic approach and steadfast commitment to increasing national exports in line with the UAE leadership's directive."
