Draft:MMPV 90
The MMPV 90 is based on the similar "Darussalam-class" in service with the Royal Brunei Navy | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | MMPV 90 Class |
Builders |
|
Operators | Bulgarian Navy |
Subclasses | C90 Corvette |
In service | 2025 |
Planned | 2 |
Building | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Offshore patrol vessel |
Displacement | 2,300 tons |
Length | 90 m (300 ft) |
Beam | 13.5 m (44 ft) |
Draught | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
Propulsion | 2 diesel engines |
Speed | 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph) maximum |
Range | 3,000 nm |
Boats & landing craft carried | 2 × RHIB |
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Electronic warfare & decoys | Decoy: 2 × Rheinmetall TKWA/MASS decoy system |
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | 1 x Eurocopter AS565 Panther |
Aviation facilities | Helicopter landing platform |
The MMPV 90 offshore patrol vessel is a class of two offshore patrol vessels being constructed for the Bulgarian Navy. The two ships will be responsible for Black Sea patrols as well as joining international NATO activities. Upon commissioning they will become the largest surface combatants of the Bulgarian Navy.
Development
Initial Development
During the late 2000s the Bulgarian Navy intended to purchase four corvettes under the French project Gowind-2500. Financial limitations prevented the plan from being implemented.
OPV program
In April 2019, three companies submitted bids in response to the Bulgarian tender for new patrol vessels. The three candidates were NVL Group (Lurssen) with their modified OPV 80/85/90 series vessel, Italian Fincantieri with its Abu Dhabi-class corvette, and the local shipyard manufacturer MTG Dolphin offering a modified version of its K-90 multirole corvette.
On November 6, 2020, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense received approval from the Council of Ministers for the purchase of two new modular patrol ships from the German company Lurssen.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense signed a contract on 12/11/2020 with Lürssen Werft Germany to build two patrol boats for the Bulgarian Navy. The boats will be built by the Bulgarian MTG Dolphin shipyard in Varna and delivered in 2025 and 2026 with the 984M lev (approximately €503M) price also including training.
In July 2021, Naval Technology Bulgaria headquartered in Varna was created as a subsidiary of NVL Group (Lurssen) as part of the contract for technical exchange. Naval Technology Bulgaria is the contracted designer and builder for the project.
Design
The ship design is based on NVL Group's OPV-90 design. The OPV-90 is a development of the smaller 1,650 ton OPV-80 that serves as the Darussalam-class and Arafura-Class.[1]
Construction
The start of construction for the first ship was on December 7, 2021 at an official ceremony in Varna. The keel was laid down on June 17, 2022 with the ship name being announced. "Hrabri" is inherited from a Bulgarian Navy torpedo boat from the beginning of the 20th century.
The construction of the second ship began on December 14, 2022 with keel laying following on June 22, 2023.
The main contractor of the project is NVL Group, with the main subcontractor being the builder MTG Dolphin. Saab is contracted to provide the sensors and combat management system.
The first ship "Hrabri" was launched on August 4, 2023 at the MTG Dolphin Shipyard in Varna.[2]
Related Developments
The C90 corvette is a longer range heavier armed version of the MMPV 90 proposed by Lürssen in 2023 for the Australian Royal Navy.[3]
Ships of class
Name | Pennant number | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hrabri
(Храбри - Valorous) |
11 | MTG Dolphin | 17 June 2022 | 2025 | 2025 | Under construction |
Smeli
(Смели-Brave) |
12 | MTG Dolphin | 22 June 2023 | 2026 | 2026 | Under construction |
See also
References
- ^ Mitsopoulos, Dimitris (2023-08-09). "Bulgaria's First Modern Corvette Launched by Local Shipyard". Naval News. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
- ^ "Launching of the first MMPV for the Bulgarian Navy » MTG DOLPHIN". MTG DOLPHIN. 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ Dougherty, Robert (2023-07-28). "Luerssen proposes 'more bang for your buck' Navy corvette". www.defenceconnect.com.au. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
Category:Royal Brunei Navy Category:Ships built in Germany Category:Patrol boat classes