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New naval vessel LÉ George Bernard Shaw to be delivered this year
The Minister with responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe visited Babcock Marine’s Appledore Shipbuilding Yard in Devon, United Kingdom to witness first hand the continued progress on the build of the fourth new OPV for the Irish Naval Service.
The visit came as 11 members of the 56th Naval Cadet Class are due to be commissioned at the Irish Naval Base in Haulbowline on Friday (June 22).
The Minister was accompanied by Commodore Michael Malone, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service and a senior representative from the Department of Defence.
The build of the 4th Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) to be named LÉ George Bernard Shaw is progressing well. The ship is alongside Newquay Dock, Appledore where the outfitting of the ship is taking place in conjunction with the process of running up and testing all the ships systems. The ship is scheduled to undergo Builders Sea Trials followed by Owners Sea Acceptance Trials (SATs) in July 2018. The delivery date of the ship will be confirmed on the successful completion of the SATs. The ship is to be fitted with a 76mm Naval Compact Gun later this year in the Naval Base, Haulbowline, County Cork. The ship when completed will be formally named and commissioned into the Irish Naval Service later this year.
Minister Kehoe said:
I want to acknowledge the relationship between the Defence organisation and Babcock which has already seen five of the current in-service Irish Naval Service vessels built in the Appledore facility together with the ongoing build which will see a sixth ship delivered in the very near future.
He complimented Babcock
for their ability to produce very well designed and stylish ships with state of the art equipment which have already proven their value to the Naval Service both at home and on overseas missions.
Minister Kehoe said that
he looked forward to the completion of the ship and Sea Acceptance Trials in July 2018 and the ships addition to the Naval Service fleet where it will be a key driver in the essential provision of defence capability in the maritime domain around our country.