Update: Piriou completes OPV 58 S programme for Senegal

Cayor , the third and final OPV 58S, was formally handed over to Senegal during a ceremony in Concarneau on 16 April. (Senegalese Navy)

French shipbuilder Piriou has delivered the final missile-armed Walo (OPV 58 S)-class offshore patrol ship to Senegal, completing the three-ship programme.

The last vessel in the class, named Cayor, was formally handed over during a ceremony held in Concarneau, France, on 16 April, the shipbuilder confirmed the same day.

According to Piriou, the shipbuilding programme was completed on time and “mobilised hundreds of employees for four years and represented more than 600,000 hours of work”.

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

The OPV 58 S patrol boats are designed for offshore surveillance, search-and-rescue (SAR), boarding, and constabulary missions. The procurement forms part of the Senegalese Navy's efforts to revive its patrol capabilities to tackle the ever-growing maritime security threats faced by the country, in particular illegal fishing, illegal migration, and drug trafficking.

Construction on first-of-class Walo began in October 2020. Following its launch in April 2022 the ship was handed over in June 2023 and arrived in Dakar in August 2023. Second-of-class Niani was launched in September 2022, delivered in November 2023, and arrived in Dakar in January 2024.

According to Piriou president Vincent Faujour, Walo and Niani have already proven themselves in several operations with the Senegalese Navy – notably for SAR missions, as well as combating illicit trafficking and pollution at sea.