VESSEL REVIEW | Gyptis – French Maritime Affairs OPV designed for Mediterranean operations

French shipyard OCEA has delivered a new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) to the Directorate of Maritime Affairs (Direction des Affaires Maritimes; DAM), the agency of the French government that is tasked with coast guard duties in the country's coastal and offshore waters.

Named Gyptis, the vessel will be operated primarily in the Mediterranean Sea, where it will perform missions that include maritime surveillance and control, maritime sovereignty patrols, pollution control, dive support, search and rescue, marine environmental protection, and fisheries enforcement.

The OPV measures 46.2 by 8.5 metres and is fitted with a hybrid propulsion configuration consisting of electric motors and IMO Tier III-compliant main diesel engines that drive Teignbridge propellers. A maximum speed of 18 knots can be reached, though when sailing at a cruising speed of 12 knots, the vessel can cover 2,880 nautical miles or stay out at sea for up to 14 days. The design ensures excellent seakeeping while the interior spaces come with noise-reducing features to improve the occupants' comfort.

The crew complement will include 17 personnel, though the vessel will have adequate onboard space for up to five additional people.

Other energy optimisation features are solar panels and LED lighting for the interior spaces. The onboard air conditioning unit can operate without CFC gas that can otherwise generate harmful emissions. There are also treatment systems for grey water and other waste as well as catalytic converters for filtering the exhaust gases.

OCEA said the aluminium hull and superstructure are 100 per cent recyclable and are streamlined to reduce fuel consumption, which will in turn further reduce NOx and CO2 emissions. The builder further claimed that the vessel was designed to consume approximately 50 per cent less fuel than a steel-hulled patrol boat of the same size.

Gyptis also has deck space for two small semi-rigid boats for use in at-sea interceptions and boardings as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle for surveillance duties. A set of davits fitted with anti-tilting systems will allow the OPV to deploy and recover the smaller boats quickly and safely.

The OPV is fitted with an onboard REPCET computer that can track whales and other large forms of underwater marine life in real-time. The use of this system will enable the vessel to avoid colliding with and possibly harming marine life in their home waters.

Gyptis will undergo further sea trials out of OCEA's Les Sables-d'Olonne shipyard in Western France before its scheduled delivery to DAM in early 2022.

See all the other news, reviews and features of this month's Maritime Security Week right here.