PIRIOU successfully delivers the patrol vessel NIANI to the Senegalese Navy

The PIRIOU Group delivered the second unit of the OPV 58 S programme for the Senegalese Navy on 14 November 2023. The ceremony, which took place in the presence of eminent figures such as the Minister of the Armed Forces, Mr El Hadji Omar Youm, His Excellency the Ambassador of Senegal to France El Hadji Magatte Seye, Admiral Oumar Wade, Chief of the Private Military Staff of the President of the Republic of Senegal and Admiral Abdou Sene, Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Navy, marked a key moment in the historic military cooperation between France and Senegal.

The contract, signed in November 2019, provided for the acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels. Following the delivery of the WALO last June, and while the CAYOR is being fitted out in Concarneau, the NIANI is now fully operational under the Senegalese flag.

Vincent Faujour, Chairman of the PIRIOU Group, expressed his gratitude to Senegal’s new Minister of the Armed Forces, Mr Oumar Youm, for choosing Concarneau for his first official visit to France. “You have played a major role in this partnership, which bears witness to
the long-standing military cooperation between our two nations,” he said, pointing out that he and Admiral Wade had been involved in the project from the outset. He also welcomed the presence of Fodé Sylla, Senegal’s ambassador-at-large, former Member of the European Parliament and former
President of SOS Racisme, as well as the presence of Admiral Cyril Palfray Aubin de Jaurias, Commander of the Brest-Lorient defence base, and Lysiane Métayer, Member of the National Defence and Armed Forces Committee of The French National Assembly.

The Chairman of the PIRIOU Group said that the Senegal programme had strengthened PIRIOU’s position as a key player in the construction of armed vessels, opening up new prospects for the Group and for Kership, the programme’s industrial prime contractor.

The Chairman of PIRIOU also paid tribute to the commitment of the teams working to ensure that this programme runs as smoothly as possible.

The NIANI will join the first of the series, the WALO, celebrated in Dakar last August in the presence of His Excellency President Maky Sall. Measuring the responsibility incumbent on the Senegalese Navy, he reaffirmed: “We are fully aware of the imperative need to guarantee the highest level of quality and availability of your ships. We are working on this, here in Concarneau, but also in Dakar.”

Mr Omar Youm stated that “the acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels is an excellent demonstration of the significant investments made by the State of Senegal, at the initiative of His Excellency Mr Macky SALL, President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The WALO has made a definite added value in the field of maritime surveillance in depth and the acquisition of information of maritime interest. It has participated steadily in maritime border surveillance operations, the protection of offshore oil and gas installations, fisheries surveillance and, above all, the fight against illegal emigration. The entry into service of the NIANI will undoubtedly help to strengthen the permanent security posture
of the naval forces, of which the 58 S OPVs are the backbone.”

As France’s leading independent private shipbuilding and ship repair group, PIRIOU continues to make its mark in the global maritime sector, helping to strengthen the defence and security capabilities of its international partners.

The OPV 58 S: a 62 m offshore patrol vessel

The OPV 58 S (Offshore Patrol Vessel) is a remarkably multi-purpose 62-metre patrol vessel. Robust and longlasting, it is dedicated to surveillance, identification, and intervention missions, perfectly suited to the variety of missions related to law enforcement. In addition to its projection capabilities (commando boats), it has a first-rate deterrence capability thanks to its anti-surface and anti-aircraft weapons systems.

Among innovations and major capacities, the vessel features:

• A versatile design to adapt to various missions
• A large panoramic bridge with 360° visibility
• A fast launching and recovery system for 2 RHIBs on the stern ramp
• A C-Sharp® hull for optimized autonomy and seakeeping
• A high-performance monitoring and combat system

These OPVs are equipped with MARTE MK2/N anti-ship missiles offering over 30 kilometers range of strike and a fire-and-forget capability that will enable the Senegalese Navy to enforce its superiority. Immediate protection for the patrol vessels is provided by the SIMBAD-RC system, which can deploy two MISTRAL missiles, providing effective defence capability against anti-ship missiles, combat aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, and fast craft such as FIACs. All these missiles are produced by MBDA.

Key features

Overall length: 62.20 m Breadth: 9.50 m Draught (approx.): 3.00 m Speed: 21 kts Autonomy: 21 days, 4,500 Nq at 12 Nds

Hull / superstructure: steel / aluminum Accommodation capacity: 48 crew – Including crew members: 36 – including mission personnel: 12 Intervention: 2 boats on stern ramps Container capacity: 2 x 20′