Abu Dhabi, 11th Nov. 2008 (WAM) -- Abu Dhabi Ship Building has been awarded a contract to build four landing craft for the Bahrain Naval Forces. The multi-million dollar contract was won in the face of stiff competition from international shipyards.
This is the second Bahraini order for Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), the only dedicated naval shipbuilding and repair facility in the Arabian Gulf. The new contract, awarded by the Kingdom of Bahrain Defence Force, is for the construction of two 42-metre steel landing craft and two 16-metre landing craft made of composite materials. The work will be undertaken at ADSBs Mussafah shipyard. The steel vessels are designed for troops and vehicle or cargo transportation and for beach landings in Gulf coastal waters. The 16-metre craft, the Sea Keeper 715, will be built in ADSBs state-of-the-art composite workshop and, with a capability of traveling at 35 + knots, are designed for the rapid deployment of personnel and supplies.ADSB CEO William Saltzer said: "This new contract is a major step forward in our development as the recognized supplier and service provider for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) maritime military markets.
"Winning the contract against stiff international competition is recognition of the world-class facilities and capabilities that we have established at ADSB. "We thank the Kingdom of Bahrain Defence Forces for their confidence in us and assure them of delivering ships that meet their technical and quality standards."A spokesman for the Bahrain Naval Forces said:"The order for these vessels was placed after careful evaluation of the bids we received from various shipyards. Abu Dhabi Ship Building has demonstrated that it can build military vessels to world class standards and we look forward to working with them on this project."Work is also currently underway at ADSBs Mussafah shipyard on the refit and upgrade of ten Bahrain Coast Guard patrol boats in a contract that was awarded last year. "We are delighted that the new contract has reinforced our relationship with the Kingdom of Bahrain said Saltzer.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2008.
