Piriou launches final OPV 58 S patrol ship for Senegal

Cayor, the third and final OPV 58 S on order for Senegal, is pictured during its launch at Piriou's shipyard in Concarneau on 2 May. (Piriou)

French shipbuilder Piriou launched the third and final missile-armed Walo (OPV 58 S)-class offshore patrol ship on order for the Senegalese Navy.

The new vessel, named Cayor , was floated out during a ceremony held at Piriou's Concarneau shipyard in Brittany, northwest France, on 2 May.

The three OPV 58 S ships are being built by Piriou under a contract signed with the Ministry of the Armed Forces of Senegal in November 2019. The construction programme is being conducted with the support of Kership, the joint venture founded by Piriou and Naval Group in 2013.

First-of-class Walo started construction in October 2020, was launched on 11 April 2022, and is expected to be delivered later in 2023. The second vessel, Niani, was launched in September 2022. Under current planning, all three are expected to be delivered by mid-2024. The scope of the contract includes follow-on support in Senegal.

The OPV 58 S design is based on the ‘C-Sharp' (Combined-Speeds Hull with All-Round Performances) hull form jointly developed by Piriou and Kership, which increases the ship's endurance and seagoing capabilities. The hull is all-steel with an aluminium superstructure, featuring a 360° panoramic bridge and an aft ramp for the rapid launch and recovery of two rigid-hull inflatable boats. There is sufficient space on the aft deck to embark two standard 20 ft containers.