Gowind completes mission

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PARIS, July 9 (UPI) -- French naval defense company DCNS reports that its Gowind offshore patrol vessel has completed a two month mission with the French navy.

The offshore patrol vessel is leased to client navies, and it has been made available to France for three years.

The OPV L'Adroit is 285.4 feet long, has a range of 8,000 nautical miles and a top cruising speed of 21 knots. It can carry helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles and carries a crew of 30.

Other features are a panoramic bridge with a 360-degree field of view, a single enclosed mast with 360-degree sensor capability and sophisticated communications and surveillance suites.

During a two-month mission in the Mediterranean, its French navy crew conducted missions for protection of the country's fisheries industry and for maritime safety and security.

"In the course of our mission, the crew inspected no fewer than 22 fishing vessels and reported five violations of international regulations," said French navy Cmdr. Sacha Bailly. "Working closely with other fisheries protection forces, our ship contributed to ensuring compliance with the authorized fishing quotas for 2012 and recently reinforced regulations."