The Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Navy, the Senegalese Ambassador to France and the Chairman of Piriou at the Cayor delivery ceremony in Concarneau ©Piriou
Today in Concarneau, the Piriou Group delivered the third and final offshore patrol vessel in the OPV 58 S programme for the Senegalese Armed Forces. The ceremony took place in the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of Senegal to France El Hadji i Magatte Seye and Admiral Abdou Sene – Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Navy. The Group is thus successfully completing a construction programme that bears witness to the effective collaboration between the Senegalese Navy and the French manufacturer, and helps to strengthen Piriou’s position as a benchmark player in the construction of armed vessels.
The contract, which was signed by Senegal’s Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Piriou Group in November 2019 and came into force on 30 September 2020, covered the acquisition of three 62-metre offshore patrol vessels dedicated to Senegal’s Maritime Defence and State action missions at sea. After the WALO, delivered in June 2023 and arriving in Dakar in August 2023, and the NIANI, delivered in November 2023 and arriving in Dakar last January, the CAYOR now flies the Senegalese flag and marks the end of a construction programme that mobilised hundreds of employees over four years and represented more than 600,000 working hours.
Vincent Faujour, Chairman of Piriou, began by thanking the Senegalese Navy for its confidence. Recalling that the Senegal programme was the fruit of several years of joint work between Piriou’s teams and those of the Senegalese Navy’s General Staff, he said, not without emotion: “We were determined to be worthy of the trust that Senegal has placed in us, determined to build ships with remarkable deterrence and projection capabilities. We have designed and built new-generation patrol boats that will further strengthen the Senegalese Navy’s defence posture and enable it to cover the full range of government missions at sea. And, recalling that human beings are at the heart of the maritime world, he honoured the memory of the 5 Senegalese commandos who tragically disappeared on mission: “We also wanted to be worthy of the trust of the Senegalese nation and its sailors who work, sometimes risking their lives, for the security and sovereignty of their country.
The Chairman of Piriou was also keen to pay tribute to the commitment of the teams at Piriou and Kership, the project’s industrial prime contractor, as well as those of all its partners, including Naval Group, who have worked to ensure that this programme runs as smoothly as possible. Having already successfully built the OPV 87s for Argentina, Piriou has replicated this industrial approach, dividing the construction of the hulls for the OPV 58 S between its Concarneau yard and the Lorient yard, home to Kership, a joint subsidiary of Piriou and Naval Group. Alongside the French Navy and DCI Navfco, Piriou has also contributed to the training and support of sailors in the handling of the ships and the mastery of combat systems.
Éric Langlois, Chairman of Kership, said: “The delivery of the CAYOR marks the completion of a major programme for the Kership teams in Concarneau and Lanester. I would like to congratulate them and warmly thank the Senegalese Navy, with whom we have enjoyed working on a daily basis over the past few years.
“We are very honoured to have contributed to the success of this project for the Senegalese navy, which once again demonstrates the success and performance of the cooperation between Kership, Piriou and Naval Group,” said Olivier de la Bourdonnaye, Director of Surface Ships at Naval Group. The programme has been completed successfully and on schedule. The CAYOR will soon join her two sister ships, the WALO and the NIANI. These modern, heavily-armed vessels have already distinguished themselves in a number of operations, notably in rescue operations, the fight against illicit trafficking and the fight against pollution at sea.
“The Senegal programme is a success in terms of our commercial relations, but it is also an industrial success that is helping to strengthen PIRIOU’s position as a benchmark player in the construction of armed vessels,” said Vincent Faujour. He concluded by reaffirming his commitment: “An important page is being turned, but the story is not over yet: I’ve mentioned design, construction and training. I cannot forget the availability of the ships. In this respect, rest assured that our teams in Dakar are and will remain fully mobilised to guarantee the highest level of availability for the OPVs.”
The OPV 58 S: a 62 m offshore patrol vessel
The OPV 58 S (Offshore Patrol Vessel) is a remarkably versatile 62-metre patrol vessel. Robust and enduring, it is dedicated to surveillance, identification and intervention missions, perfectly suited to the variety of missions linked to State Action at Sea. In addition to its projection capabilities (commando boats), it has a first-rate deterrence capability thanks to its anti-surface and anti-air weapon systems. The ship’s major innovations and capabilities include
- A highly versatile design to configure the ship for different missions
- A vast 360° panoramic bridge
- A rapid launch/retrieval system using an AR ramp for 2 boats.
- A C-Sharp® hull: optimised range and seakeeping performance
- A high-performance surveillance and combat system
These OPVs are equipped with MARTE MK2/N anti-ship missiles, with a range of over 30 kilometres and a fire-and-forget capability that will give the Senegalese Navy maritime superiority. Immediate protection for the patrol boats is provided by the SIMBAD-RC system, which can deploy two MISTRAL missiles, providing excellent protection against anti-ship missiles, combat aircraft, drones, helicopters and fast craft such as FIACs. All these missiles are produced by MBDA.
Photos : Cayor – ©Piriou
