PARIS, May 20 (UPI) -- The first Gowind offshore patrol vessel by DCNS of France has been launched and is being fitted with its above-deck technical superstructure.
Sea trials are set to begin this summer.
Building of the 284-foot vessel, christened L'Adroit, was entirely funded DCNS. Another 11 companies invested in the program by providing equipment free of charge.
"The launch of the Gowind OPV is another demonstration of DCNS' ability to meet the challenges of designing and constructing a particularly innovative vessel in less than 24 months while remaining strictly under budget," said Mark Maynard, OPV Gowind program director at DCNS.
DCNS said it is leasing the vessel for three years to the French navy without charge to obtain a "sea-proven" label that will provide DCNS with a very effective asset to market it internationally.
The vessel has a range of 8,000 nautical miles, can reach a speed of 21 knots and can accommodate a helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicles, the company said.
