DCNS: Gowind OPV L’Adroit made available to French Navy

Less than two years after construction began, the Gowind offshore patrol vessel L'Adroit, an innovative maritime safety & security platform, has been made available to the French Navy. Built by DCNS under a self-funded programme, the ship incorporates a number of major technological innovations and will now have a chance to demonstrate its operational value on French Navy missions all over the world.

The Gowind OPV L'Adroit was officially made available to the French Navy on 21 October at a ceremony attended by Bernard Huet, Executive Vice President and Deputy Managing Director of DCNS, and Vice Admiral Xavier Magne, commander of France's naval action force (FAN). The ship will be under the command of Captain Loïc Guyot and remains the property of DCNS.

"The Gowind OPV L'Adroit is emblematic of DCNS's ambitious growth strategy on the international market for small- and medium-displacement naval vessels," said Bernard Huet, Executive Vice President and Deputy Managing Director of DCNS. "DCNS is intent on developing an effective response to the world's maritime safety & security needs as the threat environment grows more complex. Our partnership with a world-class naval force is an opportunity to demonstrate the many strengths of this ship. The endorsement of the French Navy will also help to promote Gowind in international markets as a needs-responsive range of naval vessels with real operational value."

With two French Navy crews rotating every four months, L'Adroit will offer a high level of at-sea availability, spending 220 days a year on operational missions.

Over the next three years, the French Navy will be thoroughly testing the new ship and its advanced equipment and systems: UAV, commando boat launch ramps, panoramic bridge and single enclosed mast for 360° visibility, teleconferencing facilities, long-range acoustic devices, etc. With these high-tech systems, the ship is ideally equipped for current and emerging maritime safety & security missions, including fisheries surveillance, counter-piracy, drug interdiction, environmental protection, humanitarian aid, and search & rescue.

The operation is a further demonstration of DCNS's ability to design and build a particularly innovative ship on a tight schedule – less than two years – and strictly on budget.

The innovative Gowind OPV L'Adroit

With a length of 87 metres, OPV L'Adroit offers three weeks' blue-water endurance, a range of 8,000 nautical miles, a top speed of 21 knots and a helicopter/UAV flight deck. The design also features full provision for reduced crewing by a complement of 30 and space for 30 passengers.

Innovations and capabilities of special interest to ship-based naval, commando and coast guard forces include a panoramic bridge offering 360° visibility, a single enclosed mast offering 360° sensor visibility, covert deployment of fast commando boats in less than five minutes, and full provision for unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (UAVs and USVs). The Gowind family also benefits from DCNS's extensive experience in IT and command information systems. These vessels can be readily tailored for extended area surveillance and, when working in conjunction with shore-based control centres and other networked ships, for the automatic detection of suspicious behaviour by ships and other craft.