ADSB Celebrates Another Baynunah Keel Laying

Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding (ADSB) has reached another major milestone in the Baynunah Corvette Program for the UAE Navy. On June 21, ADSB laid the keel block for the third of a six-ship program and initiated the first steel cutting for the fourth ship.

The first ship is under construction in Cherbourg, France at the shipyard of ADSB’s subcontractor, Construction Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN). The hull structure and superstructure are in place and outfitting is in process. The second ship construction at ADSB’s Massafah shipyard facility in Abu Dhabi has now reached main deck level for the platform and work on the aluminium superstructure and top side module has commenced. The keel laying consists of placing the first construction block in position in the Ship Assembly Hall. The first hull block containing machinery and engineering spaces for the vessel’s mechanical systems. ADSB’s shipyard is undergoing an expansion which is progressing to plan and will be completed by the end of this year. Expansion of the Steel Production Shop, extension of the Assembly Halls and additional Warehousing are all now very visible within the shipyard. Earlier this year, additional dry berths and an extension to the Syncrolift Side Transfer System came on stream and are now handling vessels on a daily basis. The Baynunah Class vessels are Naval Corvettes designed by CMN. The French company is also acting as a main subcontractor to ADSB for construction of the first vessel in France, technology transfer and supply of related logistics and training services. The other five vessels are being built at the ADSB facility in Mussafah.