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The United Arab Emirates Navy commissioned its newest guided-missile corvette into service on Thursday, June 27. Al Emarat is the second of two corvettes based on the Gowind-class developed by French defence shipbuilder the Naval Group.
The corvette's crew will remain in France for operational ship training, which will be provided by the Naval Group. The ship will begin its transit to the UAE under the Emirati flag in July, with arrival in Abu Dhabi scheduled for August.
As with earlier sister Bani Yas, Al Emarat has an LOA of 102 metres, a beam of 16 metres, and a displacement of 2,800 tonnes. Onboard space is available for a helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) for use in at-sea interceptions and inspections.
The corvette has automated systems to allow operation with a reduced crew complement compared to surface combatants of similar size. The armament includes a 76mm naval gun and anti-ship missiles.
