Fassmer MPV70 MK II
The German shipbuilding company Fassmer announced that in December 2019 it signed a contract with the Ecuadorian naval shipbuilding and shipyard Astilleros Navales Ecuatorianos (ASTINAVE EP) in Guayaquil to build a multipurpose patrol ship of the Fassmer MPV70 MK II project for the Ecuadorian Navy. Construction will be carried out by ASTINAVE EP according to the project and with the assistance of Fassmer, including the supply of part of the structures.
The Ecuadorian side chose the Fassmer MPV70 MK II project following the results of an international tender for the Ecuadorian Navy's program for a Multipurpose Combat Vessel. The contract is for one ship, and it is not yet clear how many such units the Ecuadorian fleet intends to have in the future.
The Fassmer MPV70 MK II project is a multipurpose patrol ship with the ability to transport cargo (including containers and liquid cargo), solve search and rescue tasks, and accommodate containerized equipment. The ship will be equipped with an 11-ton-class helicopter landing pad, two quick-release interceptor boats in the stern, a powerful cargo crane, and a station for transferring fuel and cargo at sea. In the central part of the hull on the cargo deck, it is possible to transport containers or landing craft.
The MPV70 MKII is a novel design, part of a family of new Fassmer naval vessels focusing on the combination of support and patrol roles, providing fleet-level asset optimization as well as enhanced capabilities for disaster relief and humanitarian aid.
The vessel will be built by ASTINAVE EP in Guayaquil with design, engineering, technical support and material packages from Fassmer. The MPV70 MKII design will feature ASTINAVE EP's Orion combat management system and an integrated mast featuring a full digital radar co-developed by Virtualabs S.R.L. from Italy and ASTINAVE EP. The MPV70 MKII capable of surveillance and C4I configuration in combination with two stern launched interceptor boats and large flight deck (11t) provides effective patrol and deterrence capabilities. Among the logistics capabilities, the vessel can handle various containers and liquid cargo and is designed with RAS transfer systems to support other ships. The MPV70 MKII will enhance the Ecuadorian navy logistics abilities while increasing its presence in the EEZ, providing SAR capabilities and protecting fisheries and other natural resources.
The full characteristics of the project have not yet been reported, except that the hull length will be about 70 m. The ship's armament for the Ecuadorian Navy will be the 76-mm Leonardo Super Rapid universal artillery mount and two small-caliber remote-controlled artillery mounts (presumably, Rafael Typhoon). The electronic weapons will include ASTINAVE EP Orion ASBU and an integrated mast with a multifunctional radar jointly produced by ASTINAVE EP and the Italian company VirtuaLabs SRL (presumably based on the S-band VirtuaLabs SEADAR radar).
For Fassmer, the contract with Ecuador was another major success in the Latin American defense market - patrol ships in Colombia and Chile, as well as patrol boats in Colombia, are already being built under various Fassmer projects.
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