A couple of things.Venezuelan Navy´s (Armada Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela -ANBV) PC-22 ANB “Warao” offshore patrol vessel has had an accident in Fortaleza, Brazil. Important damages were made to the ship´s hull.The Venezuelan Navy is now evaluating the serious damages.Four Avante 2200´s POV (Patrullero Oceánico de Vigilancia) ships were built by the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia according a contract firmed in Caracas, Venezuela on 28 November 2005. They were commissioned in March 2011, August 2011, December 2011 and April 2012 respectively.Four Avante 1400´s BVL (Buque de Vigilancia Litoral) patrol vessels were also acquired under the same contract. The last BVL is being built by the Venezuelan shipbuilder Diques y Astilleros Nacionales CA (DIANCA) in Puerto Cabello.
Venezuela and Brazil appear to be forging closer ties. Good for them. The second? Not bad for what is essentially a Coast Guard Vessel. A 76mm gun up front (a rapid fire multi-munition gun at that...adequate for anti-air, anti-surface and land attack applications) along with a 35mm revolver gun at the rear. Wrap all that up in a semi-stealthy platform built by Navantia and you have an impressive little ship.
Its hard to get a handle on whats going on down south but something is.
If I recall right, those ships are basically corvettes. I think there's a variant design somewhere with VLS behind the gun. Not many, and I don't know if that particular sale has the extra reinforcements et al needed, but... [*]
ReplyDeleteOTOH, I haven't heard of piracy in the Caribbean of late; not outside movies.
Take care.
[*] Again, from memory: related to the BAM design. One design-many roles.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/393/bamconfiguraciones5ci.jpg/
In a way, LCS but with roles instead of modules. And much slower.