Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) held a keel laying ceremony for the first FALAJ 3 offshore patrol vessel which is being built for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces. Held under the patronage of Rear Admiral Pilot Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Commander of the Naval Forces, and attended by Naval Staff Brigadier Abdullah Faraj Al Mehairbi, Deputy Commander of UAE Naval Forces, and Mansour Almulla, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE. The ceremony marked the completion of keel laying ahead of schedule, reaffirming ADSB’s position as a regional leader in naval shipbuilding and as a strategic partner to the UAE Ministry of Defence.
In May 2021, Abu Dhabi Ship Building was awarded an AED 3.5 billion (~$950 million) contract by the UAE Ministry of Defense and the UAE Navy to build four Falaj 3-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). This is the largest order the company has ever received. ASDB contracted Singapore’s ST Engineering Company for the basic, detailed and production design of the vessels. In addition, technical support will be provided for the construction of the first ship of the class. The United Arab Emirates Navy will receive four Falaj 3-class OPVs as part of the project. The 60-meter vessels will be based on the Fearless-class patrol boats from ST Engineering.
The Falaj 3 features a design that reduces radar cross-section, infrared signature and acoustic signatures to provide a stealthy profile at sea. the OPVs will be powered by 4 high-performance engines that will use 4 propellers to reach speeds of more than 26 knots. The ships will have 4 generators capable of producing 1.2 megawatts of power. The Falaj 3 class vessels will be equipped with an integrated platform management system that will allow all platform systems to be monitored and controlled from a single point. They also feature a wide range of safety and firefighting equipment, as well as a rigid-hull inflatable boat.
EDGE subsidiary Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) is the regional leader in the new build, repair, maintenance, refit and conversion of naval and commercial vessels. With almost a quarter century of service to the UAE and beyond, we have evolved into one of the most experienced shipyards in the region, and our shares have been traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange since 2003. Deploying the latest technologies, we help maximize fleet availability, extend ship lifetimes and lower overall lifecycle costs. EDGE Group is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) state-owned conglomeration of 25 companies to provide military weaponry and related technologies. It is headquartered in the UAE.
