Nigerian Navy yesterday in Saint Nazaire, France took delivery of its first ever purpose-built Offshore Survey Vessel, NNS LANA.
The vessel which is expected to join the Nigerian Navy fleet in May 2021 was completed and launched on September 24, 2020 at Les Sables d’Olonne, France.
NNS LANA was handed over to the Nigerian Navy in France on 15th January, 2021 after the provisional acceptance trials was concluded.
The crew training also commenced in January 2021 and ended on 12th April, 2021.
The change of flag ceremony marks her readiness to embark on her maiden homebound voyage to Nigeria.
In a statement issued by Commodore Suleman Dahun, the minister of defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), represented by the chief of the naval staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, at the flag transfer ceremony, said the new vessel was conceived as a replacement for the previous NNS LANA, a survey ship that was decommissioned about 10 years ago.
Magashi said the occasion marked a great milestone in the fulfillment of the dream of not only replacing but enhancing Nigerian Navy’s survey capability.
“Importantly, the new vessel is expected to fill the void created following the decommissioning of the previous NNS LANA,” he said.
He stated that survey services and charting waterways play a crucial role in ensuring safe navigation as well as delivery of maritime security.
He therefore thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment towards the recapitalisation of the Nigerian Navy Fleet.
He also thanked Nigeria’s ambassador to France, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Irele, the management and staff of Messrs OCEA and all others who have contributed one way or the other towards the change of flag ceremony.
Magashi explained that the choice of Messrs OCEA by the Nigerian Navy to construct the new NNS LANA was based on its impeccable track record of high quality ship building capacity as well as the belief in the company to adhere to agreed time lines.
He noted with delight that the acquisition of NNS LANA brings to 18 the number of OCEA platforms in the Nigerian Navy’s inventory and also the company was recently awarded the contract to construct a 35m Hydro boat to complement NNS LANA.
The construction of the Offshore Survey Vessel 190 MKII (NNS LANA) commenced in December 2019 and the project was divided into four major milestones which were: the completion of the deck molds, completion of hull blocks, hull assembly on the main deck and the delivery and installation of the main engines at the shipyard.
These milestones were the benchmarks which determined the level of work achieved at each stage of the project.