Meteoro-class offshore patrol vessel

The Meteoro-class offshore patrol vessel, also known as Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM), are new modular offshore patrol vessels of the Spanish Navy adapted to different purposes from a common base, manufactured by Navantia. The BAMs combine high performance with mission versatility, a high commonality with other ships operated by the Spanish Navy. Acquisition and lifecycle costs are reduced.

Rayo (P-42)
Class overview
Builders: NAVANTIA
Operators:  Spanish Navy
Cost: €183 million (2020)[1][2][3] per unit
Planned: 12
Completed: 6
Active: 6
General characteristics
Type: Offshore patrol vessel
Displacement: 2,860 t (full load)
Length: 93.9 m (308 ft)
Beam: 14.2 m (47 ft)
Draft: 4.2 m (14 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 2 diesel engines
  • 4 groups diesel generators
  • 2 electric motors propellers
  • 1 Emergency generator
  • Located 2 cross bow thruster
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Range: 3,500 nmi (4,000 mi; 6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 46 crew and 30 forces
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × Agusta-Bell 212

Description

The BAMs are a common platform for a variety of missions, used to develop whole families of types of ships that meet the diverse needs of the Navy.

Its main missions are:

  • Protection and escort of other ships in low intensity/asymmetric warfare situations
  • Control of maritime traffic
  • Control and neutralization of terrorism and piracy
  • Operations against drug trafficking and human trafficking
  • Search and rescue
  • Support for crisis situations and humanitarian aid
  • Control of fishing laws
  • Control of environmental legislation and anti-pollution.

Modular design enables the ships to be modified for purposes outside main missions such as hydrographic research, intelligence gathering, diving support and salvage operations.

Building

The BAM project consists of 12 vessels.[4]

First phase

The first phase included the construction of six patrol boats. This phase was completed in January 2019 after twelve years.

Second phase

Like the first phase, this second is composed of six units. four of them are patrol boats and the two remaining are specialized BAMs, one oceanographic and the other underwater rescue.

Characteristics of the Oceanographic BAM

  • Flight cover for medium helicopter (Lynx) without hangar.
  • Transportation personnel: 20 Scientists.
  • Scientific Premises: Biological, Humid with Cava, Electronic, Geological, Meteorological, Photographic laboratories.
  • Drawing Room, Data Center, Local Electronic Equipment, Electronics Workshop, Diving Room with Hyperbaric Chamber, Probe Local and Transducer Site.
  • Local Gravimetry, Spare Cloths, Oceanography Warehouse, Water Clothing Store.
  • Probe nacelle, transverse propellers in bow and stern.
  • Davits and Chigres: Popa Porch for Oceanography and Sónar Towed, Lateral Davit for Rosettes, Lateral Davit for Plankton Extraction.
  • Possibility of stowing scientific containers in Toldilla Deck.
  • Side Scanning Sónar VDS (Medium / High Frequency) and Sónar / Parametric Probe.

Characteristics of the Characteristics of the Underwater Rescue BAM

  • Rescue and support to the rescue of submarines. The new rescue vessel will be known as the BAM-IS (Intervención Subacuática/Underwater Intervention).
  • Support for diving operations.
  • Intervention and rescue in accidents and shipwrecks.
  • Surveillance and monitoring of the heritage (of growing interest in litigation with the Odyssey by the frigate "Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes" between 2007 and 2012).
  • SAR operations.
  • Transport of personnel and material.
  • Fight against pollution.

History
BAM Meteoro (P-41)

Construction began on 4 October 2007 with the cutting of the first sheet and was placed on the stands the first on 13 March 2009, in the shipyard San Fernando. The budget was €352m but the final cost was €488.4m for four units (~US$160m each).[5]

In June 2009, the Secretary of State for Defence and Congress confirmed the construction of a second batch to replace older patrol boats of the Anaga (3), Toralla (2), Descubierta (4) and the now-retired Barceló (6) and Conejera (4) classes. In September 2010, the Ministry of Defence said a contract would be signed with Navantia for four additional vessels to be delivered by 2015, but the contract has yet to be signed. Navantia has indicated that the Batch 2 vessels will be more modular, with the potential to switch between oceanography, intelligence gathering and search-and-rescue. One will be a diving support vessel, and one will be a research vessel for hydrography and logistical support in the Antarctic. The acquisition of two vessels, to enter service in 2019, was formally approved by the Spanish cabinet on 18 July 2014 at a cost of €166.74m (US$224m) each.[6]

Ships
Pennant Number Ship name Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport Status
P-41MeteoroNavantia, San Fernando4 October 200716 October 200928 July 2012Las Palmas Naval Base[7]Active
P-42RayoNavantia, San Fernando3 September 200918 May 201026 October 2011Las Palmas Naval Base[8]Active
P-43RelámpagoNavantia, San Fernando17 December 20096 October 20106 February 2012Las Palmas Naval Base[9]Active
P-44TornadoNavantia, San Fernando5 May 201021 March 201119 July 2012Las Palmas Naval Base[10]Active
P-45AudazNavantia, San Fernando29 April 2016[11]30 March 201727 July 2018Cartagena Naval Base[12]Active
P-46FurorNavantia, Ferrol29 April 2016[11]8 September 201721 January 2019Cartagena Naval Base[13]Active

References

This article contains content from the Spanish Wikipedia.

  1. "La SEPI anuncia la construcción de un Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM) en los astilleros gaditanos". 2014-03-07. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  2. https://www.diariodecadiz.es/noticias-provincia-cadiz/Ministerio-Hacienda-BAM-IS-Puerto-Real-navantia_0_1486951719.html
  3. https://www.infodefensa.com/es/2020/11/26/noticia-intervencion-subacuatica-armada-tendra-presupuesto-millones.html
  4. ""Seaplace" diseña ya el próximo buque rescatador de submarinos de la Armada Española". Por Tierra, Mar y Aire (in Spanish). 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
  5. Ministerio de Defensa (September 2011). "Evaluación de los Programas Especiales de Armamento (PEAs)" (PDF) (in Spanish). Madrid: Grupo Atenea. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  6. Ing, David (22 July 2014). "Two new Spanish BAM OPVs to be in service by 2019, says Navantia". IHS Jane's Navy International.
  7. Spanish Navy. "Meteoro (P-41) - Spanish Navy".
  8. Spanish Navy. "Rayo (P-42) - Spanish Navy".
  9. Spanish Navy. "Relámpago (P-43) - Spanish Navy".
  10. Spanish Navy. "Tornado (P-44) - Spanish Navy".
  11. "Economía/Empresas.- Navantia pone las quillas de dos buques para la Armada española" (in Spanish). BolsaManía. 29 April 2016.
  12. Navantia entrega el BAM Audaz a la DGAM
  13. Infodefensa.com, Revista Defensa (2019-01-21). "Navantia entrega el BAM Furor a Defensa en un acto en Ferrol - Noticias Infodefensa España". Infodefensa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-01-24.
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