PUTRAJAYA, Oct 10 — The first Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV 1) that belongs to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) was launched in Port Klang, Selangor today, said its director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Zubil Mat Som.
He said in a statement that the OPV1 was launched at the TH Heavy Engineering (THHE) Shipyard in Port Klang at 5.57am today using the ‘Air Balloon’ launch system.
THHE will activate and commission the ship’s systems, conduct sea trials and provide training to the ship’s crew for three months before a handover ceremony of the OPV1 to MMEA is held early next year.
The OPV 1 vessel measuring 83 metres long and 13.7m wide is capable of long-range surveillance reach of up to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as areas beyond the range of small vessels.
The ship, designed according to the design of the Damen 1800 ship, is capable of operating at sea for a maximum period of 21 days without resupply.
Mohd Zubil said that after being handed over to the MMEA, the OPV 1 vessel is expected to operate in the waters around Beting Patinggi Ali in Sarawak. — Bernama
