Egypt's 1st locally-built Gowind 2500 stealth corvette delivered

CAIRO – 11 January 2021: The Egyptian Navy held on Monday a ceremony for the delivery of the first 100-percent locally-built Gowind 2500 stealth corvette – dubbed Port Said - by Alexandria Shipyard in partnership with France's Naval Group.

 

"Port Said" was launched in September 2018 to be the second Gowind corvette owned by Egypt as the first – dubbed Al Fateh - was produced in France and delivered a year earlier.

The warship is one of four in a 2014 contract worth €1 billion. The deal stipulates that three corvettes would be manufactured in Egypt.

The third dubbed Al Moez and the fourth dubbed Luxor were launched in May 2019 and May 2020, respectively.

Gowind Corvette is 102 meters in length and 16 meters in width. Its speed is 25 knots with a range of 3,700 nautical miles at 15 knots. It can carry air-defense and anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. 

The spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces announced on December 31 that Egypt's first FREMM Bergamini frigate arrived at Alexandria's naval base.

The frigate – dubbed Al Galala - is one of two Egypt purchased from the Italian company Fincantieri, and can sail for 6,000 sea miles. The crew was trained within a program that was carried out in both Italy and Egypt. 

"(The frigate) has several technical features and modern armament systems that enable it to achieve all combat missions during peace and war. As such, it is a huge technical addition to the capabilities of the naval forces and a support to its ability in securing borders, shipping lines, natural resources in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and backing land forces along the coast while accomplishing attack and defense missions," the statement reads.

Commander of the Egyptian Naval Force Ahmed Khaled stated in the ceremony held on the occasion of the frigate's arrival that the General Command of the Egyptian Armed Forces is eager to accomplish a strategy aimed at developing and modernizing the Egyptian naval fleet. The commander added that the frigate would also help in securing the Suez Canal given the hostilities and challenges engulfing the region.

General Khaled pointed out that the political leadership is keen on preserving the high degrees of readiness of the Armed Forces for it is a power that achieves security and stability in the region, combats terrorism and illegal migration, and contributes in development works.

The political leadership also works persistently on boosting relations with partners and allies in order to achieve mutual interests pertinent to the security and stability in the Middle East, the commander underlined.

The ceremony was attended by a number of Armed Forces' commanders, former commanders of the Naval Force, and students at the Egyptian Naval Academy.