Feature 1 | PATROL AND RESCUE BOATS
the boats be equipped with both a 415V AC three-phase 125A system and a 230V AC three-phase 50A system,” he says. I explained to the committee: ‘Te hotel I’m staying at doesn’t even have that amount of power’. Tey had mistakenly thought that the electrical power requirements were necessary to power pumps and auxiliary equipment aboard the vessel, when in fact only a fraction of that amount was needed. And because they were not well versed in small craſt design and construction they failed to realise that, during normal and routine patrols, this type of vessel would encounter moderate to heavy seas and would have, without fail, been subjected to large waves over the top of the boat, sufficient enough to electrocute everybody on board. “Due to the very nature of small patrol
boats, DC power is required for both operational systems and for safety.” In this case, the technical specifications
for this craſt had simply been cut and paste from those of an Indian Navy minesweeper. Stevens warns: “It is one thing to have the RFP – but the key question for Indian yards is, is anybody examining the request?” Other problematic RFPs that have been
encountered have included particulars featuring disproportionate beam-to-length ratios, preventing effective planing. In some cases, this has led to reduction
in speed, which a few Indian clients have erroneously blamed on the waterjets.
Change on the horizon? His observations may seem worrying, but the current scenario has proven enough of a wake-up call for the Indian yards to look overseas, most notably to the US, for assistance, and the country’s public sector yards have requested the transfer of state of the art technology to construct patrol craſt. Stevens is keen to stress that he remains
optimistic regarding India’s small boat building ambitions. “Initially, we found that a few Indian designers and builders were not entirely receptive to our input,” he says. “For instance, suggesting the use of high-strength composites in vessel construction and manufacturing methodologies was a bit of a hard sell to people used to dealing in large ship construction in steel. However, through cooperation with US yards, the Indian
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Thai patrolmen get Krabi
The Mahidol Adulyadej Naval Dockyard, Thailand, has launched a 90m offshore patrol vessel, HTMS Krabi, designed by UK-based defence technology specialist BAE Systems. The vessel, which will be utilised by the Royal Thai Navy, features a maximum speed of 23knots and a flight deck designed to accommodate a Super Lynx helicopter, and will be deployed to engage in routine coastal patrols and border control-related duties. According to BAE Systems, HMTS Krabi is loosely based on the 80m River class vessels used by the UK Royal Navy, albeit she is equipped with a 76mm gun and a redesigned accommodation area. The vessel took 15 months from keel-laying to completion. In addition, the Brazilian Navy has signed a contract, reportedly worth GBP£133 million (US$210 million), to exclusively acquire the design plans for three 90m ocean-going patrol vessels, originally drawn up by BAE Systems, as well as the vessels themselves. The trio was originally constructed for the Government of Trinidad & Tobago. Under the terms of the deal, the Brazilian Navy now has full rights to the vessels’ general arrangements, enabling it to order further vessels of this class from Brazilian shipyards. Each of the three vessels weighs 2200tonnes when fully loaded, and is equipped with a 30mm cannon and two 25mm guns.
The 90m, BAE Systems-designed HTMS Krabi has been delivered to the Royal Thai Navy.
yards are eager to learn and are moving forward. Tings will change over the next decade, without a doubt. “Te country’s navy, coast guard and
police forces are sure to follow the lead when it comes to scrutinising their RFPs to include the best available technologies worldwide.”
As long as these links are maintained,
it will be interesting to watch India elevate itself from its small vessel construction doldrums, and to see whether the country has the vision to posit itself as a rival to its more technologically advanced – for now – rivals in Central and South East Asia. SBI
Ship & Boat International March/April 2012
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