The Nigerian Navy has awarded French shipbuilder OCEA a contract for the construction of a new hydrographic and oceanographic research vessel.
The craft's secondary roles will include patrol, search and rescue, dive support, and oil spill response. It will be equipped with multi- and single-beam echosounders, a wet laboratory, water sampling facilities, and deck space for a 5.6-metre survey boat for use in shallower waters.
The new vessel will measure 35 metres long and will be crewed by 12 personnel. It will be capable of speeds of up to 12 knots and a range of 3,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.
