The Weapons’ Repository

WEAPON NAME	Arialah-class Offshore Patrol Vessel

OPV 2600 is the longest of four second generation offshore patrol vessels designed by Damen Shipyards to support a wide variety of missions conducted by naval forces and coastguards. The vessel can be deployed for anti-mining warfare, search and rescue, border security, exclusive economic zone (EEZ) surveillance, humanitarian aid, fishery inspection, and oil spill recovery tasks. The vessel has an overall length of 103m, beam of 14.4m, draught of 4m, and displacement of 2,600t. It is operated by a crew of up to 60 members, while an additional 48 personnel can be carried in the 320m² multi-role compartment. → products.damen.com/OPV-2600

MANUFACTURER

DESIGN: Damen Shipyards, NETHERLANDS → damen.com
CONSTRUCTION: Damen Galati Shipyard, ROMANIA → damen.com/galati
SYSTEMS INSTALLATION: Abu Dhabi Ship Building, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES → adsb.ae

ARMS EXPORT

The two 67m Arialah offshore patrol vessels with helicopter decks were built at Damen Shipyard in Galati, Romania, and the integration of the combat systems was done at Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding (ADSB). Thales Nederland is a major subcontractor, supplying most of the electronic equipment and taking responsibility for combat systems integration. The ships are heavily armed with a BAE Bofors 57 mm gun, two Leonardo Marlin 30 mm guns and a Raytheon 11-cell missile launcher. In addition to a crew of 42, the ship can transport 35 troops and a three-person helicopter detachment. The total deal is valued at $ 272 million, with the first ship delivered in February 2017.
(Under the radar - The United Arab Emirates: arms transfers and regional conflict, 2017)

Transfer of Arialah OPV from Netherlands to United Arab Emirates

NAME	TYPE	ORDER	#	DELIVERY	#	COMMENTS
Arialah P6701	OPV	2013	1	2017	1
Hmeem P6702	OPV	2013	1	2018	1

MAINTENANCE

For the warships of the Arialah class the Dutch government provided the export licenses in 2014 and 2015 for the ships as well as for the Thales Netherlands equipment to a value of € 110 million. According to the Official Journal of the EU annual reports on Arms Exports Romania only reported ships exported to a value of € 14 million in 2016 to the Emirates. Which means that the main responsibility was still resting with the Netherlands. In the Dutch export reports nothing is mentioned about the sale of this Dutch product. It is however mentioned in the Romanian export policy report (pages 31, 34 and 47) and to the EU both for a value of € 27 million. Apparently control over these exports slipped out of Dutch into Romanian hands. (stopwapenhandel.org)

IDENTIFICATION	Arialah OPV to the United Arab Emirates Navy

The #UAE #CoastGuard has commissioned its 2nd Arialah class OPV, Hmeem P6702; a vessel armed with a 57mm gun, two 30mm guns, decoy launchers and one 11-cell RAM launcher! It is equipped with sophisticated sensors such as @ThalesDefence SMART-S, MIRADOR, STIR & Vigile. pic.twitter.com/Dhrt4ifjSk
— Naval Analyses (@D__Mitch) March 30, 2018

https://twitter.com/D__Mitch/status/979762684068532225

The last analysed vessels are 2 Arialah Offshore Patrol Vessels. According to @JanesINTEL the 1st one delivered in 2017 and the second one inaugurated in 2019. At least one Arialah OPV is frequently spotted in #Assab since late 2018. Last seen docked there on 29 Mar. 2019. pic.twitter.com/HPgsYvf1FS
— leone_hadavi (@leone_hadavi) August 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/leone_hadavi/status/1161529644375560193

GEOLOCATION	UAE Military Base in Assab, Eritrea → 13°00’07.8”N 42°44’50.8”E

Wikimapia

Arialah-OPV-assab-eritrea-geolocation-satellite

Satellite Image, Apple Maps

(Not possible to confirme the effective involvement of the OPV in the Saudi naval blockade → EUArms Project)