Israel Shipyards has confirmed the delivery of the last two of four Shaldag fast patrol boats to fulfil an order from the Senegalese Navy.
The company made the announcement last month. A representative told French maritime security news outlet Naval News that the two boats – a Shaldag Mk II and a Shaldag Mk V – (Cachouane and Lac Retba respectively) were delivered to Senegal in November. Ship tracking data shows the delivery vessel Blue Note arrived in Dakar on 26 November and departed the following day. It originally left Israel on 9 November.
The first two Mk II vessels (Anambe and Soungrougrou) were delivered in 2019 to Senegal where they have been deployed to prevent piracy and other maritime crimes in the country’s territorial waters.
Designed for coastal and riverine patrols, the Shaldag Mk V has an overall length of 32.65 meters, a beam of 6.20 metres and a displacement of 95 tons. It can reach a maximum speed of 40 knots and a range of 1 000 nautical miles at an average speed of 12 knots.
The Shaldag Mk II has an overall length of 25.30 meters, a beam of 6 meters and a displacement of 58 ton. It has a maximum speed of 45 knots and a maximum range of 650 nautical miles at an average speed of 32 knots.
The new vessels are part of Senegal’s plan to renew its naval fleet and allow the maritime arm of service to carry out missions such as fisheries inspection, fighting drug trafficking and piracy. Senegal’s navy is tasked with patrolling 700 kilometers of coastline and 159 000 square kilometers of exclusive economic zone (EEZ).