Bremen Class Frigates

Fgs Rheinland Pfalz is a Bremen Class Frigate from the German navy

See HERE for more details.

Ships Crest

Holland Class

Holland Class OPV

Holland Class offshore patrol vessels (OPV’s) were built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding for the Royal Netherlands Navy.  The series of four OPVs are named after Dutch coastal provinces.

HrMs Holland             (P840)

HrMs Zealand             (P841)            

HrMs Friesland           (P842)              

HrMs Groningen         (P843)

The Royal Netherlands Navy will deploy the OPV’s in the Caribbean and the North Sea.  The OPV’s can support international task forces in anti-piracy missions, counter-drug operations and block ships in coastal areas during crises.

The OPV’s have a broad platform to provide stability in marine seas. Its stealthy design incorporates innovative techniques to reduce radar reflectivity. The body is built with thick steel, which has a lower tensile strength. It is heavier than the steel used for frigates and can resist the impact of small-calibre weapons.

The hull is stretched and the bridge and superstructure are placed aft wards, to help optimise the sea keeping capabilities of the OPV’s. The speed is cut down to reduce fuel consumption and increase the range of the vessels. Two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) and one NH-90 helicopter are also carried to support interception operations.

The OPV’s can accommodate 50 ship crew members and up to 40 non-listed persons, including a helicopter detachment, law enforcement detachment (LED), a platoon of marines or a medical team. Approximately 100 evacuees can also be boarded.  These vessels can also carry out emergency missions.

The OPV’s can sail at a speed 21.5kt. Its maximum range is 5,000nm.   Total displacement is 3750 tonnes.

The project is estimated to cost €467.8m (with each mast alone costing €30m).  The OPV’s were built between 2008 and 2012.

Friesland is seen here arriving at Leith without her mast..

She was escorted by the Forth Ports tugs Fidra and Seal Carr

D'Estienne D'Orves Class

The Lieutenant de Vaisseau Lavallée is a French D'Estienne D'Orves (Type A 69) class frigate of 950 tons displacement launched in 1979. She is crewed by 83 ratings and 7 officers and has a top speed of 23 knots and a range of 7200 km at 15 knots.

The A69 type Avisos are small warships mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions.  Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions. The A69 design was based in the project of the João Coutinho class corvettes of the Portuguese Navy.

Ships in the class

A total of 17 ships of this class were built and named after the heroes of the Second World War. Eight of these ships have since been decommissioned and six of them were sold to the Turkish Navy where they were redesignated as the B Class corvette.

The nine ships remaining in French service will have their heavy weapons removed and be reclassified as oceanic patrol ships. They will replace the P400 class patrol vessels in this role.

Decommissioned or transferred (To Turkey)

F781 D'Estienne d'Orves (decommissioned in 1999, now TCG Beykoz)

F782 Amyot d'Inville (decommissioned in 1999, now TCG Bartin)

F783 Drogou (decommissioned in 2000, now TCG Bodrum)

F784 Détroyat (decommissioned in 1997)

F785 Jean Moulin (decommissioned in 1999)

F786 Quartier-Maître Anquetil (decommissioned in 2000, now TCG Bandirma)

F787 Commandant de Pimodan (decommissioned in 2000, now TCG Bozcaada)

F788 Second-Maître Le Bihan (decommissioned in 2002, now TCG Bafra)

In service in the French Navy

F789 Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff

F790 Lieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée

F791 Commandant L'Herminier

F792 Premier-Maître L'Her

F793 Commandant Blaison

F794 Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet

F795 Commandant Ducuing

F796 Commandant Birot

F797 Commandant Bouan

Lieutenant de Vaisseau Lavallée is seen here departing Leith 28^th March 2012.  The Forth Ports tugs  Seal Carr (bow) and Oxcar (stern) were helping out.

HMS Archer

Making an announced visit to Leith was the Royal Navy's University Boat HMS Archer.

HMS Archer is based in Aberdeen and has made several visit to Leith.

She is seen here alongside in Leith

KV BERGEN

Only two weeks after her previous visit to Leith the KV Bergen arrived back at Leith.  Unfortunatley she arrived at 01:30 am so I was unable to get her arriving.  Instead below are some images of her alongside.

UK Border Agency's Vessel Sentinel

The UK Border Agency's fleet of patrol boats are known as cutters.

A single vessel from the UK Border Agency (UKBA), the Sentinel, is responsible for patrolling almost 3000 miles of Scotland’s coastline, on the lookout for illegal drugs, counterfeit cigarettes, untaxed alcohol, to search and detect prohibited and restricted goods, and prevent tax fraud, by searching all types of vessels.

The fleet currently consists of five vessels:

Sentinel, Seeker, Searcher, Vigilant and Valiant            

Most of the time, the cutters are deployed on a risk-led or intelligence-led basis to control general maritime traffic throughout UK waters. In the more remote areas and inaccessible areas, visited less often by land-based teams, they may be the only law enforcement tool available.

Other activities include strategic patrols, tactical response work, support for other departments and agencies, and participation in multi-agency operations in both UK and international waters. Although they operate mainly in UK waters, they have responded to deployments as from the Baltic to the Mediterranean.

Sentinel has just returned from operational commitments and is seen here approaching Leith for some well deserved R & R.

KV Bergen

Our first ‘Military’ vessel to Leith of 2012 was the Norwegian Coastguard (Kystvakt) KV Bergen.

KV Bergen (W341) – with her sister vessels KV Barentshav (W340) and KV Sortland (W342)– are by far the world’s most energy efficient and environmentally friendly Coast Guard Vessels, primarily due to the use of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as its primary source of fuel. The Hybrid solution with a large MDO (marine diesel oil) engine in addition ensures relatively high speed (max 20 knots) and towing performance when so required. This, along with an optimized hull with very low resistance through the water again optimizes fuel consumption during the vessels main operations – patrolling at low speed in rough waters.

All three are high-tech, multi-purpose, ice strengthened ships with hybrid propulsion and a very real towing capability. Their formidable range of duties includes patrolling, rescue, fire fighting, oil recovery and towing.

Each 93m vessel is powered by a conventional controllable pitch propeller and fixed nozzle driven either mechanically by the main engine running on marine diesel oil (MDO) or by a combined electric motor/shaft generator using power from four generator sets fuelled by LNG. In full ‘hybrid’ mode the main propulsion system can be powered by a combination of both main diesel engine and electric drive motor. To achieve the latter, the propeller is driven via a reduction gearbox incorporating an input coupling from the diesel main engine and a second coupling for the electric motor/shaft generator.

The double skinned hull incorporates a bulbous bow and is optimised to offer very low resistance through the water, reducing fuel consumption during the ship’s main mode of operation, which is patrolling at low speed in rough waters. In ‘hybrid’ mode KV Bergen and her sister ships can attain a maximum speed of 20 knots, or 18 knots on diesel power alone and 15 knots on electric drive and gas powered generators. The reduction in NOX emission when using LNG is measured at around 90% compared to MDO. Likewise, the reduction in CO2 emission is measured at 25%.

All three ships are fitted with Dynamic Positioning systems. A high standard of manoeuvrability, particularly a low speed, is achieved by fitting transverse thrusters of 736kW fore and aft and a retractable azimuthing thruster of 883kW in the bow.

A maximum bollard pull of 100 tons is available and a full outfit of towing gear is installed. The main hydraulic towing winch has a maximum brake holding load of 250 tons, a line pull of 70 tons, and carries 2000m of Kevlar/Dextron towline. Included in the towing and line handling gear is a 15 ton tugger winch, two sets of hydraulically operated towing pins and one set of ‘Sharks jaws’, all rated at 120 tons SWL.

All three new vessels have a comprehensive array of communications and navigational equipment. Accommodation to a high standard is provided for up to 40 persons. The ships are normally manned by a mix of civilian and military personnel.

KV Bergen was delivered to the Norwegian owner Remøy Management AS in the spring of 2010.

KV Bergen has been in Leith before click HERE for more info

She is seen here approaching Leith locks on Sunday 12^th February 2012