Buque de Acción Marítima

BAM Rayo (P-42)
Class overview
Builders: NAVANTIA
Operators:  Spanish Navy
Cost: €166.74m (US$224m)[1]
Building: 2
Planned: 9
Completed: 4
General characteristics
Type:Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)
Displacement:2,500 t (full load)
Length:93.9 m (308 ft)
Beam:14.2 m (47 ft)
Draft:4.2 m (14 ft)
Propulsion:2 diesel engines
4 groups diesel generators
2 electric motors propellers
1 Emergency generator
Located 2 cross bow thruster
Speed:20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Range:3,500 mi (3,000 nmi; 5,600 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement:35 crew and 35 forces
Armament:1 cannon 76/62 mm gun
2 25 mm Automatic Mountings
2 × 12.7 mm machine guns
Aircraft carried:1 × NH-90

The BAM (Buque de Acción Marítima) ships are new modular Offshore Patrol Vessels of the Spanish Navy adapted to different purposes from a common base, manufactured by Navantia. The BAMs combine high performance with mission versatility, a high commonality with other ships operated by the Spanish navy. Acquisition and lifecycle costs are reduced.

Description

The BAMs are a common platform for a variety of missions, used to develop whole families of types of ships that meet the diverse needs of the Navy.

Its main missions are:

Modular design enables the ships to be modified for purposes outside main missions such as hydrographic research, intelligence gathering, diving support and salvage operations.

History

Construction began on 4 October 2007 with the cutting of the first sheet and was placed on the stands the first on March 13, 2009, in the shipyard San Fernando. The budget was €352m but the final cost was €488.4m for four units (~US$160m each).[2]

In June 2009, the Secretary of State for Defence and Congress confirmed the construction of a second batch to replace older patrol boats of the Anaga (3), Toralla (2), Descubierta (4) and the now-retired Barceló (6) & Conejera (4) classes. In September 2010, the Ministry of Defence said a contract would be signed with Navantia for four additional vessels to be delivered by 2015, but the contract has yet to be signed. Navantia has indicated that the Batch 2 vessels will be more modular, with the potential to switch between oceanography, intelligence gathering and search-and-rescue. One will be a diving support vessel, and one will be a research vessel for hydrography and logistical support in the Antarctic. The acquisition of two vessels, to enter service in 2019, was formally approved by the Spanish cabinet on 18 July 2014 at a cost of €166.74m (US$224m) each.[1]

Units

BAM Meteoro (P-41)

The first four ships were assigned these names and numbers:

References

This article contains content from the Spanish Wikipedia.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ing, David (22 July 2014). "Two new Spanish BAM OPVs to be in service by 2019, says Navantia". IHS Jane's Navy International.
  2. ↑ Ministerio de Defensa (September 2011). "Evaluación de los Programas Especiales de Armamento (PEAs)" (in Spanish). Madrid: Grupo Atenea. Retrieved 30 September 2012.

External links