NNS Ose (P186)

History
Nigeria
Name	NNS Ose (P186)
Operator	Nigerian Navy
Builder	OCEA, Les Sables-d'Olonne
Commissioned	2017
Nigeria
Name	NNS Ose
Operator	Nigerian Navy
General characteristics
Class & type	Ocea FPB 72
Length	24 metres (79 ft)
Beam	5.8 metres (19 ft)
Draught	1.5 metres (4.9 ft)
Speed	35 knots (65 km/h)
Range	600 nautical miles (1,100 km)
Complement	12

NNS Ose (P186) is a small patrol boat operated by the Nigerian Navy. ^{[1] [2]} She was commissioned in 2017, along with half a dozen sister ships.

Design

Ose and her sister ships are Ocea FPB 72 vessels, just 24 metres (79 ft) long, with a range of 600 nautical miles (1,100 km), sufficient for short missions, within Nigeria's Exclusive Economic Zone. ^{[1] [2]} She carries a crew of twelve, and can proceed at up to 35 knots (65 km/h).

Operational career

On April 20, 2020, the Ose was sent to help rescue mariners aboard the container ship Tommi Ritscher , after it was boarded by pirates. ^[3] The liquid natural gas carrier was captured when moored off the coast of Benin. The Tommi Ritscher had a crew of nineteen, eleven of whom were able to make it to a safe room. Her Bulgarian Captain, three Russians, and a Ukrainian and three other crewmembers were taken hostage. ^{[4] [5]}

TASS reports that Benin patrol boats were able to drive off the hijacker's support boats. ^{[6] [7]} They reported that Benin negotiators allowed the hijackers to leave the ship, taking their eight hostages with them. They reported that three of the hostages were Russian citizens.

The Ose was dispatched after Benin called upon a memorandum of understanding between the two nations, and requested Nigerian assistance. ^[8] The Ose carried ten Nigerian Navy commandos to effect the boarding. ^[9]

References

1. "Nigeria receives two more Ocea patrol vessels". Defence Web . 2017-09-06. Archived from the original on 2018-06-14. Ocea has delivered a number of vessels to Nigeria, including three FPB 72s in 2012 and a 32 metre FPB 98 Mk II in 2013, which were ordered by the Nigerian Port Authority for use by the Nigerian Navy.
2. "Ocea delivering patrol boats to Nigeria". Defence Web . 2018-01-18. Archived from the original on 2018-01-17. The FPB 72s are 24 metres long and 5.8 metres wide. They can reach a speed of up to 35 knots and have a range of 600 miles at 12 knots. Crew is ten. They are equipped with a rigid-hulled inflatable boat on the aft deck.
3. Tola Adenubi (2020-04-20). "Nigeria Wades In As Pirates Attack Portuguese Ship In Gulf Of Guinea". Nigerian Tribune . Retrieved 2020-04-22. The Nigerian Navy, in the early hours of Monday, dispatched a patrol boat, NNS OSE to rescue a Portuguese flagged container ship, TOMMI RITSCHER which had come under attack by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) on Sunday.
4. Angel Krasimirov; William Maclean (2020-04-21). "Pirates Seize Portugal-Flagged Ship Off Benin, Kidnap Crew: Bulgaria". The New York Times . Sofia . Retrieved 2020-04-22. Pirates attacked a Portugal-flagged ship and kidnapped its Bulgarian captain and seven sailors off the coast of Benin, Bulgaria's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
5. "Pirates Take Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian Hostages Off West Africa Coast". Radio Free Europe . 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2020-04-22. Pirates have attacked a Portugal-flagged container ship off the coast of Benin and kidnapped eight crew members, including three Russians, one Ukrainian, and the Bulgarian captain.
6. "Pirates leave captured vessel off Benin together with seized Russians". TASS . Moscow. 2020-04-21. Retrieved 2020-04-22. However, the Russians were in the group of eight hostages held by the pirates. After the negotiations with the Benin authorities, the assailants left the vessel together with the hostages.
7. Jason Jiang (2020-04-22). "Crew from Tommi Ritscher citadel rescued, eight remain hostage". Splash 24-7 . Retrieved 2020-04-22.
8. "Pirates Holding Containership Crew Hostage in Gulf of Guinea". Marine Link . 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
9. "11 rescued as Navy foils pirates' attack on Portuguese vessel". Naija 24-7 News . 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2020-04-24. Consequently, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OSE embarked 10 NN SBS operatives and proceeded to the objective area.