Bangladesh Coast Guard takes delivery of last OPV duo "Urania" and "Danaide" from Fincantieri

Fincantieri today has delivered at its shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia) the last two units part of the supply contract of four Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), to the Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG), through the upgrading and conversion of the “Minerva” class corvettes, decommissioned by the Italian Navy, the shipbuilding group said in a press release.

These are the "Urania" and "Danaide" vessels, renamed “KARAMUZZAMAN” and “MANSOOR ALI”, which have been retired from the national fleet in March 2016 and shortly after arrived at Fincantieri’s dock in Genova, where the upgrading and conversion activities started. The units have been completed at the Integrated naval shipyard of Muggiano (La Spezia).
 
Attending the ceremony, among others, Mr Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Secretary to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Rear Adm. AMMM Aurangzeb Chowdhury, Director General of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, while Fincantieri was represented by Paolo Frino, Deputy Senior Vice President Fincantieri Services.
 
Together with “Minerva” and “Sibilla”, renamed “SYED NAZRUL” and “TAJUDDIN” and delivered in August 2016, these vessels will form the backbone of the Bangladesh Coast Guard’s fleet, with an extension of the lifespan by more than twenty years.
 
The units will be used to patrol the country's maritime boundaries and traffic in its Exclusive Economic Zone, with capabilities to contain environmental pollution and to rescue and assist civilian populations in the case of humanitarian emergencies. This contract has confirmed, therefore, the ability of Fincantieri – the only one among the suppliers of naval vessels – to offer tailor-made solutions for every Navy and Coast Guard, according to individual needs and characteristics, by developing new projects or, alternatively, thanks to the precious support of the Italian Navy, by performing in-depth and strict refitting process on second-hand units.     
 
Within the development of Fincantieri business in the Far East, this agreement is moreover particularly relevant for the supply of after-sales services for naval vessels, because it allows to provide a full range of services for both the platform and the combat system: from industrial Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Conversions  to those related to the Life Cycle Management of the vessels, both through the supply of Integrated Logistic Support services, usually developed during construction or conversion, and of In Service Support activities, ensured after the delivery, during the operation of the vessels.