On May 13th 2022, Al Emarat, the second Gowind® corvette ordered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Naval Group, has been launched in Lorient shipyard in France, in presence of an official delegation from the United Arab Emirates Navy.
In 2019, the United Arab Emirates ordered two Gowind® corvettes to be built in France. The first corvette, Bani Yas, was launched in December 2021.
Naval Group, as a turn-key solution provider, will also train the UAE Navy's crew from the equipment level up to the operational level. Starting in France, this preparation will continue with team-building and practice on operational scenarios in every warfare area in the Gulf.
Stéphane Frémont, Director of Surface Ship Programs at Naval Group, said: “The launching of Gowind® Al Emarat is a major industrial and symbolic milestone, where the corvette reaches her natural environment. The two Bani Yas class vessels benefit from the modular design of the Gowind® family and are the perfect asset to help the UAE Navy meet the challenges of today and tomorrow thanks to the most advanced technologies.”
Gowind® enjoys significant commercial success as 12 units have already been sold. Most of them are built locally through Transfer of Technology and partnerships with local industry, for example in Egypt where three units are now in service within the Egyptian Navy.
Gowind® is Naval Group’s response to 21st century security and defense challenges. It is a corvette-size multi-mission Surface Combatant offering capabilities in all areas. It is designed to perform the full spectrum of naval defense operations and maritime security roles, with the highest level of performance.
Sturdy, strongly equipped, highly maneuverable, Gowind® integrates, through Naval Group's SETIS® Combat Management System (CMS) and innovative structural solutions, the latest generation sensors and weapons. Designed to be used against air, naval or underwater threats from the initial steps of the engineering process, Gowind® is multipurpose by design.
Gowind® is a sea proven, enduring, stealth and highly survivable platform offering:
- High performance warfare capabilities integrated through the SETIS® CMS and an efficient and innovative Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM)
- Automated systems for user-friendly operations by an optimized crew
- Large and smart deployable assets (heavy helicopter, UAVs, RHIBs)
- Growth potential driven by customer requirement and innovation.
Technical Features:
- Overall hull length: 102 meters
- Overall beam: 16 meters
- Displacement: 2,800 tons
Naval Group is a partner to its customers' maritime sovereignty. An international player in naval defense and heir to French naval know-how, Naval Group develops innovative solutions to meet the needs of navies. Present throughout the entire life cycle of the ships, the group designs, builds, integrates and maintains submarines and surface ships, as well as their systems and equipment, through to dismantling. It also provides services for shipyards and naval bases.
A high-tech company, Naval Group builds on its exceptional expertise, its unique design and production resources and its ability to set up strategic partnerships and successful transfers of technology. Attentive to the challenges of corporate social responsibility, Naval Group is a member of the United Nations Global Compact.
With operations on five continents, the group has a turnover of 4.1 billion euros and employs 16028 people (full-time equivalents /December 2021 data).
