The Guaicamacuto-class patrol boats (Avante 1400) is a class of offshore patrol vessels or BVL (Spanish: Buque de Vigilancia de Litoral) in Venezuelan Navy service for patrol duty in economic exclusive zone. A contract for four BVLs and four POVZEE was signed together on 25 November 2005. Since 2014 the Spanish Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office has been investigating the €42m "commission" paid to some of those involved.[3]
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Navantia, Cádiz, San Fernando Yard |
| Operators |  Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela |
| Planned | 4 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Active | 3 |
| Lost | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Patrol vessel |
| Displacement | 1,453 tons standard displacement, 1,720 tons full load |
| Length | 79.9 m (262 ft 2 in) |
| Beam | 11.8 m (38 ft 9 in) (max.)[1] |
| Draught | 7 m (23 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Complement | 34 + 30 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | AB212, AB412 and AS565 |
| Aviation facilities | Landing pad[1] |
The final vessel of the class was to have been named after Tamanaco, a 16th-century tribal leader, but in 2013 GC-24 was renamed Comandante eterno Hugo Chávez after the death of the then president. GC-24 was laid down in 2008 under the supervision of Navantia at the Venezuelan National Dams and Shipyards (DIANCA) in Puerto Cabello, was launched in 2014 and began sea trials in April 2018, but Navantia pulled out of Venezuela in January 2019 before trials were complete.[4]
Ships of class
edit| Name | Pennant | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaicamacuto | GC-21 | Navantia, Spain | 16 October 2008 | 2 March 2010[5] | |
| Yaviré | GC-22 | 11 March 2009[6] | 29 January 2011 | ||
| Naiguatá | GC-23 | 24 June 2009[7] | 1 March 2011 | Sunk after ramming an unarmed civilian vessel | |
| Comandante eterno Hugo Chávez | GC-24 | DIANCA, Puerto Cabello | 2014[needs update] | [citation needed] |
Naiguatá sunk after ramming the cruise ship RCGS Resolute on 30 March 2020 in an apparent attempt to seize it.[8][9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Wartsila Propulsion Solutions for OPVs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
- ^ Ángel Noceda, Miguel (28 July 2014). "El macrocontrato de Navantia en Venezuela tropieza por los avales". El Pais (in Spanish).
- ^ Gonzalez, Miguel (29 January 2019). "España retira su apoyo al buque de guerra 'Comandante Eterno Hugo Chávez'". El Pais (in Spanish).
- ^ "Navantia Launches and Commissions Two OPVs to Venezuelan Navy". Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ "Navantia launches second OPV for Venezuela".
- ^ "Navantia launches first Venezuelan OPV".
- ^ "Venezuelan Navy boat rams German cruise ship and sinks". Deutsche Welle. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ Relatório de Investigação Técnica / Investigation report (PDF) (Report) (in Portuguese). Gabinete de Investigação de Acidentes Marítimos e da Autoridade para a Meteorologia Aeronáutica (GAMA). 6 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.