ENS Luxor

Last updated
History
Naval Ensign of Egypt.svgEgypt
Name
  • Ismailia
  • (الإسماعيلية)
Namesake Ismailia
Builder Alexandria Shipyard, Alexandria
Laid down2019
Launched14 May 2020
Renamedto Ismailia (2022)
Identification Pennant number: 986
Statusin sea trials
General characteristics
Class and type Gowind-class corvette
Displacement2,500 tons
Length102 m (334 ft 8 in) - 111 m (364 ft 2 in)
Propulsion CODAD
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Endurance21 days
Complement65 + 15 Special forces
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • VIGILE 200 Tactical R-ESM System
  • ALTESSE Naval C-ESM
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities Hangar and helipad

ENS Ismailia (986) is the fourth ship of Egyptian Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy.

Contents

Development and design

In 2014, Egypt signed a €1bn contract with Naval Group to buy four Gowind 2,500-ton corvettes with an option for two more. Separately, MBDA negotiated a contract to equip the ships with MICA vertical launch air-defense missiles and MM40 Block 3 Exocet anti-ship missiles, together worth an additional 400 million euros, while Naval Group negotiated a 100–200 million euro contract for torpedoes. [1] Three of the corvettes are to be built locally by Alexandria Shipyard within a technology transfer agreement. It was apparently President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who decided these were the ships he wanted rather than the Meko A200 being offered by German group ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) or the Sigma corvette proposed by Damen of the Netherlands. [2] [3] Egypt is in talks with France to acquire another two Gowind corvettes which, if ordered, would be produced by France in Lorient. [4] [5]

In April 2015, Naval Group started cutting metal for the very first Gowind 2500 corvette, with a planned construction period of 29 months. It is the first of a series of four units that will be delivered to Egypt before 2019. The corvette's first block was laid in the dry dock in September 2015. [6] Naval Group celebrated the launch of the first Egyptian Gowind corvette El Fateh at the Lorient naval shipyard in September 2016. El Fateh successfully concluded its first sea trials by the end of March 2017. [7] The Egyptian Navy took delivery of the vessel in September 2017, three years after the order was placed. [8]

Construction and career

Ismailia was laid down in 2019 as Luxor and launched on 14 May 2020 by Alexandria Shipyard in Alexandria.

The ship began sea trials in July 2022. [9]

The ship was reportedly renamed from Luxor to Ismailia in 2022, to allow the use of the name Luxor for a newly acquired Fort Rosalie-class replenishment ship.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corvette</span> Small warship

A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war.

Naval Group is a major French industrial group specializing in naval defense design, development and construction. Its headquarters are located in Paris.

<i>Mistral</i>-class amphibious assault ship French warship class (2005-present)

The Mistral class is a class of five amphibious assault ships built by France. Also known as helicopter carriers, and referred to as "projection and command ships", a Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 NH90 or Tiger helicopters, four landing craft, up to 70 vehicles including 13 Leclerc tanks, or a 40-strong Leclerc tank battalion, and 450 soldiers. The ships are equipped with a 69-bed hospital, and are capable of serving as part of a NATO Response Force, or with United Nations or European Union peace-keeping forces.

Sigma-class design Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of corvette or frigate size

The SIGMA class is a Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of either corvette or frigate size, designed by Damen Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Egypts military

The Egyptian Navy, also known as the Egyptian Naval Force, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in the Middle East as well as Africa, and is the twelfth largest navy in the world. The navy protects more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, defense of approaches to the Suez Canal, and it also supports for army operations. The majority of the modern Egyptian Navy was created with the help of the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The navy received ships in the 1980s from China and Western sources. In 1989, the Egyptian Navy had 18,000 personnel as well as 2,000 personnel in the Coast Guard. The navy received ships from the US in 1990. US shipbuilder Swiftships has built around 30 boats for the Egyptian Navy including mine hunters, survey vessels, and both steel and aluminium patrol boats.

The Amphibious Assault Ship Project was a proposed procurement project by the Government of Canada for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). However, no such project was incorporated into the Government's defence plan Strong, Secure and Engaged released in 2017 and cost challenges with other naval procurement projects under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy has led to no movement on the idea.

Gowind-class design French multi-role ship design

The Gowind design is a family of steel monohull frigates, corvettes and offshore patrol vessels developed since 2006 by France's Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS, to conduct missions in the littoral zone such as anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The Gowind family includes vessels with lengths from 85 to 111 metres and displacement from 1,000 tons to 3,100 tons.

ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1010) is an Egyptian Navy amphibious assault ship, a type of helicopter carrier, of the French-designed Mistral class. She was originally built for the Russian Navy and underwent sea trials. Subsequently, the contract was cancelled by France and agreement on compensation reached with the Russian government. Egypt and France concluded the deal to acquire the two former Russian Mistral for roughly 950 million euros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SMART-S Mk2</span> Dutch naval radar system

SMART-S Mk2(Signaal Multibeam Acquisition Radar for Tracking, S band Mk2) is a naval medium to long-range air and surface surveillance multibeam passive electronically scanned array 3D radar designed by Thales Nederland, formerly Hollandse Signaalapparaten (Signaal). While the original SMART-S radar was only produced in small numbers, SMART-S Mk2 is very successful. Only six years after its introduction, 30 systems were sold to navies all over the world. SMART-S Mk2 radar is equipped with transmitter/receiver (T/R) modules manufactured by Turkish defence company Aselsan. The radar transmitter/receiver (T/R) modules for the radar are purchased by Thales from Aselsan.

ENS <i>Anwar El Sadat</i>

ENS Anwar El Sadat (L1020) is an Egyptian Navy amphibious assault ship, a type of helicopter carrier, of the French Mistral class. It was originally built in France for the Russian Navy as part of a contract for two of these warships and underwent sea trials. The contract with Russia was subsequently cancelled by France and an agreement on compensation was reached with the Russian government. Egypt and France eventually concluded a deal to acquire the two warships for roughly 950 million euros. Egypt is considered the first and only country in Africa and the Middle East to possess a helicopter carrier of such type.

<i>Maharaja Lela</i>-class frigate Stealth frigates being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy

The Maharaja Lela-class frigate, also known as the littoral combat ship (LCS), is a class of six stealth frigates being built for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). First announced as the Second Generation Patrol Vessel in 2011, the ships are based on an enlarged version of the Gowind-class corvette, designed by Naval Group, formerly known as DCNS of France.

Kership Class of offshore patrol vessels

The Kership class is a range of steel monohull offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) built by Kership, a joint venture of French civil shipbuilder Piriou (55%) and Naval shipbuilder DCNS (45%).

HMS <i>Zenith</i> (R95) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Zenith was a Z-class destroyer of the Royal Navy built as by William Denny and Brothers, Dunbarton. She was ordered as part of the 10th Emergency Flotilla, and was originally to have been named HMS Wessex. She spent her first ten years in Royal Navy service, before being sold to the Egyptian Navy, which operated her as El Fateh. She was a training ship until 2014, and her name was transferred to a new vessel in 2017, but she remains listed by the IISS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandria Shipyard</span> Egyptian shipyard

Alexandria Shipyard is a shipyard located in the Alexandria Port in the northern coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt.

ENS <i>Tahya Misr</i> FREMM class multi-purpose frigates in the Egytian Navy

ENS Tahya Misr is a FREMM multipurpose frigate of the Egyptian Navy. Tahya Misr was originally constructed as the Aquitaine-class Normandie before being acquired by Egypt and being renamed.

ENS El Fateh Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy

ENS El Fateh (971) is the lead ship of Egyptian Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy. She was commissioned on 22 September 2017.

ENS Port Said (976) is the second ship of Egyptian Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy.

ENS El Moez (981) is the third ship of Egyptian Gowind-class corvette of the Egyptian Navy.

ARA <i>Piedrabuena</i> (P-52) Bouchard-class offshore patrol vessel of the Argentinian Navy

ARA Piedrabuena (P-52) is the second ship of Argentinian Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel of the Argentinian Navy.

References

  1. "DCNS Confirms Sale of 10 Gowind Corvettes, Expects More". defense-aerospace.com. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  2. Cabirol, Michel (15 September 2014). "Armement : nouveaux clins d'oeil de l'Egypte à la France". La Tribune (in French). Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  3. Mackenzie, Christina (6 June 2014). "Egypt buys four Gowind corvettes". Aviation Week. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  4. Cabirol, Michel (22 September 2015). "Les Egyptiens sont à Paris pour négocier l'achat des deux Mistral" [Egyptians are in Paris to negotiate the purchase of two Mistral]. La Tribune (in French). Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  5. "Diplomat: France Is In Talks With Egypt For New Corvette Sale". defensenews.com. Agence France-Presse. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  6. @navalgroup (30 September 2015). "The future Egyptian #Gowind corvette is taking shape at DCNS Lorient" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 August 2020 via Twitter.
  7. "The first Gowind®2500 by DCNS succeeds in the beginning of its sea trials" (Press release). Naval Group. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. "Naval Group Delivers the First Gowind®2500 Corvette, ENS Elfateh, to the Egyptian Navy" (Press release). Naval Group. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  9. Maritime, Baird (2022-07-08). "Egyptian Navy's fourth Gowind-class corvette begins sea trials". Baird Maritime. Retrieved 2023-10-25.