Engineering:Emer-class offshore patrol vessel
| Error creating thumbnail: LÉ Aisling departing Dublin in 2009
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Verolme Dockyard, Cork |
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | missing name |
| Succeeded by: | Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist. |
| Built: | 1977–1980 |
| In service: | 1978–present |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Offshore patrol vessel |
| Displacement: | 1,019 t (1,003 long tons) |
| Length: | 65.20 m (213 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 10.50 m (34 ft 5 in) |
| Draught: | 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) |
| Speed: | 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph) (maximum) |
| Complement: | 46 (5 officers and 41 ratings) |
| Armament: |
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The Emer-class offshore patrol vessel was a class of three offshore patrol vessels (OPV) operated by the Irish Naval Service from January 1978 until June 2016. After decommissioning from the Irish Naval Service, the ships were sold and subsequently put into service with a number of foreign navies.[1][2][3]
Design and construction
After evaluating missing name for three years, the Irish Naval Service ordered the lead ship of an evolved design in 1975. The keel laying for Emer took place on 28 February 1977. The launch followed later that year on 26 September 1977. The keel for the second ship, Aoife, was laid on 3 July 1978 and she was launched 12 April 1979. The final ship, Aisling, had her keel laid on 31 January 1979 and was launched 3 October 1979.
Ships in class
| Hull number | Name | Builder | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P21 | missing name | Verolme Dockyard, Cork | 16 January 1978 | 20 September 2013 | Acquired by the Nigerian Navy | |
| P22 | missing name | 29 November 1979 | 31 January 2015 | Acquired by the Maltese Navy | ||
| P23 | missing name | 21 May 1980 | 22 June 2016 | Acquired by the Libyan National Army's Navy |
Export
Nigeria
missing name was decommissioned on 20 September 2013,[4] and was sold at auction for €320,000 to a Nigerian businessman in October 2013.[5]
In July 2014, Emer was impounded by the Nigerian Navy because the new owner had failed to secure the necessary military approval before bringing the ship into Nigerian waters.[6] On 19 February 2015, the vessel was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy as a training ship and renamed NNS Prosperity.[2]
Malta
missing name was decommissioned on 31 January 2015 and was donated to the Maltese Naval Service. She was commissioned later that year on 26 June as P62.[3][7][8]
Libya
Aisling was put up for a public auction on 23 March 2017 at the Carrigaline Hotel in County Cork,[9] and was purchased by a Dutch broker for his clients for a reported price of €110,000, there being no other higher bids.[10] As of 10 May 2017, the vessel was listed on a brokerage website with an asking price of $750,000 (€685,000),[11][12] with the difference between sale price and asking price attracting attention from representative groups.[13][14]
In 2018, Aisling was commissioned, under the name Al Karama (Arabic: الكرامة, romanized: al-karāma, lit. 'dignity'), as the flagship of the naval component of the Libyan National Army.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Libya commissions ex-LÉ Aisling". Libyan National Army. 17 May 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6SZfyRc_ww.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Jonathan Commissions Four New Ships". 2015-03-10. http://www.nigeriancurrent.com/ck88-news/jonathan-commissions-4-new-ships-for-navy-in-lagos-thursday.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Malta flag raised on former Irish patrol vessel". Times of Malta. 28 June 2015. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150628/local/malta-flag-raised-on-former-irish-patrol-vessel.574438.
- ↑ "New life as luxury liner or research ship awaits navy's oldest vessel". Irish Independent. 2013-08-28. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-life-as-luxury-liner-or-research-ship-awaits-navys-oldest-vessel-29532247.html.
- ↑ "Le Emer sold at auction for €320,000". 23 October 2013. http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/1023/482234-le-emer/.
- ↑ "Navy blames foreigners for most of crime on Nigeria waters". 10 March 2015. http://www.worldstagegroup.com/worldstagenew/index.php?active=news&newscid=17006&catid=35.
- ↑ "We've just given Malta a naval ship, instead of selling it". thejournal.ie. 19 February 2015. http://www.thejournal.ie/malta-aoife-1948564-Feb2015/.
- ↑ "Ireland and Malta to explore further defence co-operation in the context of European security, peacekeeping and crisis management operations". 19 February 2015. http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/Release+ID/BBE0AAFDE94E468F80257DF10025971B?OpenDocument.
- ↑ "Fancy owning a naval ship? 'LÉ Aisling' to be auctioned". Irish Times. 4 February 2017. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/fancy-owning-a-naval-ship-l%C3%A9-aisling-to-be-auctioned-1.2987720.
- ↑ "Dutch buyer purchases LÉ 'Aisling' ship for €110,000". Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/dutch-buyer-purchases-l%C3%A9-aisling-ship-for-110-000-1.3022108.
- ↑ "Fisheries Patrol Vessel for sale in Holland". Unlimitedoffshore.com. 10 May 2017. http://www.unlimitedoffshore.com/single-post/2017/05/10/Fisheries-Patrol-Vessel-for-sale-in-Holland.
- ↑ "Fisheries Patrol Vessel for sale in Holland". http://media.wix.com/ugd/d3c3f9_7fe35107be1b47659a95f65a95dd69c0.pdf.
- ↑ "Group representing Defence Forces concerned after L.E. Aisling being sold for six times what Government sold it for". BreakingNews.ie. 15 May 2017. http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/group-representing-defence-forces-concerned-after-le-aisling-being-sold-for-six-times-what-government-sold-it-for-789732.html.
- ↑ "'It's embarrassing': LÉ Aisling sold by State for €110k - it's now on the market for nearly €700k". The Journal. 15 May 2017. http://www.thejournal.ie/department-of-defence-le-aisling-3390418-May2017/.
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