Lebanon to Receive American Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)

The Lebanese navy will receive a U.S. made 43-meter Coastal Security Craft (CSC), for maritime security, at the end of 2011. The Maritime Security Strategies (MSS) company of U.S.A was awarded the $ 29 million contract from the Department of the Navy on the 14th of January. A U.S. Department of Defence press release said the deal would be executed under the Foreign Military Sales Program The US Department of the Navy announced in January 14th that MSS will work with its primary design agent and shipbuilding partner, RiverHawk Fast Sea Frames, to design, produce and outfit the ship. A Lebanese website, SD Arabia reported quoting RiverHawk company officials that the AMP 145 is primarily designed to monitor and patrol territorial waters and countering terrorist acts, armor smuggling, and illegal cross-border operations, as well as to help enforce Lebanese security, for the complete establishment of the Security Council Resolution 1701. "This particular design and the engineering and electronics systems we are incorporating should be ideal for the sorts of missions and tasks that Lebanon and its international partners have to rely on the Lebanese Navy to execute," stated Rear Admiral (US Navy, ret) Robert Cox, MSS's Managing Partner.