PARIS, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The first of four Gowind 2500 corvettes for the Egyptian Navy has been floated by French naval shipbuilder DCNS at its shipyard in Lorient.
The Elfateh -- 335 feet long and with a speed of 25 knots -- is scheduled for delivery to Egypt next year. Three sister ships will be built at Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt under a technology transfer agreement.
"DCNS developed the Gowind family for navies seeking to acquire compact new-generation warships that are rugged, reliable and well-armed," DCNS said in a statement. "Gowind corvettes and OPVs [offshore patrol vessels] combine force projection capabilities with powerful sensor and combat systems controlled by a Setis combat management system originally developed for the FREMM frigate program."
In addition to its general naval capabilities, the Gowind 2500 can be outfitted to the client navy's requirements regarding both the propulsion configuration and the combat system, including mission-specific suites for anti-submarine warfare.
The vessels are typically armed with MBDA's Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles and VL Mica anti-air missiles.
