NNS Karaduwa (P102)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Nigeria | |
| Name | Karaduwa (P102) |
| Namesake | Karaduwa |
| Builder | Naval Dockyard Limited |
| Commissioned | 15 December 2016 |
| Motto | Search for Victory |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Seawards Defense Boat (SDB) |
| Length | Approx 40 meter |
| Speed | 39 knots (45 mph; 72 km/h) |
| Armament |
|
NNS Karaduwa (P102) is a Nigerian made 40 meter Seaward defense boat made by the Nigerian Navy in collaboration with Dorman Long Engineering which carried out most of the fabrication while instrumentation was carried out by Blueflag Inc.[1]
History
[edit]The Karaduwa SDB II fulfilled the Nigerian government's long aspiration of building, equipping and maintaining its own naval fleet without relying on external assistance.[2]
The 30mm main gun is remotely operated. The P102 is used in the volatile Niger Delta region to combat piracy and to show the flag.[2]
A new 50 meter Seaward defense boat III is being built in 2017–2018[when?] under construction. It will be an enlarged version of the SDB II with more powerful weapons systems.[2]
Overview
[edit]The NNS Karaduwa (P-102) is a 40 meters naval vessel categorized as a 'Seaward Defense Boat' (SDB) a term used to describe a boat capable of operating from the littoral coastal waters down towards the deeper seas. In summary, it is a mid-shore patrol boat something short of a deep ocean-going ship but more capable than a coastal patrol boat.
It is about 38.9m long and can do 39 knots (45 mph; 72 km/h) with ease, a necessity when chasing marauding sea criminals.
Its armament panoply also reflects its role – fitted with a 30mm remotely operated gun, two 12.5mm multi-purpose heavy machine guns and a 40 mm grenade launcher for taking out hostile speed boats.
It is currently deployed in the volatile Niger-Delta region enforcing the federal government maritime security mandate and showing the flag.
_.png)
NNS Karaduwa Specifications
[edit]Type: Seaward Defense Boat
Builder: Naval Dockyard Limited
Date of Commissioning: 15 December 2016
Motto: Searching for Peace
| Length: | Approx 40 meter |
| Speed: | 39 knots (45 mph; 72 km/h) |
| Armament: |
|
- ^ Lionel, Ekene. "Military Africa". Military Africa.
- ^ a b c "Buhari commissions locally made Naval ships | TODAY.ng". TODAY. 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2017-05-25.