NEWTOWN, Conn. - The Mozambican government has ordered a further three HSI32 interceptor patrol boats from the French company Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN).
This brings a total of 33 vessels ordered by Mozambique from the CMN shipyard. The others include 24 fishing boats (a mixture of trawlers and longliners), an initial three HSI32s, and three Ocean Eagle 43 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).
Each HSI32 has a crew of 12. They are a light-weight aluminum boat is 32.2 meters long and 6.4 meters wide, and can carry surveillance radar, electro-optical sensors and a satellite link for transferring images and other data. They are capable of reaching speeds of 43 knots (almost 80 kilometers an hour) and have a range of 800 nautical miles at 12 knots or 580 nautical miles at 33 knots, without needing to refuel. Their weapons options include a remotely operated 20 mm cannon and two 12.7 mm machine guns.
In early January, CMN launched the first of the three Ocean Eagle 43 OPVs for Mozambique. The vessel emerged from the workshop at CMN's facility in Cherbourg on January 20, with the launch taking place two days later. After the launch, sea trials will commence in February ahead of delivery in the coming months.