Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) recently started work on the first of two steel landing craft for the Royal Bahrain Naval Force.

It is ADSB’s first newbuilding contract for Bahrain and also includes two 16 m Sea Keeper landing craft constructed in composite materials.

The 42 m vessels are designed for carrying troops and cargo and for beach landing in Gulf waters.

The Bahrain vessels will be the first built using new Aviv Marine 12 software which enhances ADSB’s capability in production engineering and brings greater efficiency to the shipbuilding process.

The first steel landing craft is due for delivery in July next year and the second in February 2011.

The company recently completed two Sea Keepers for Bahrain. The vessels are capable of speed in excess of 30 knots and are designed for the rapid supply of vehicles and equipment.

Musaffah-based ADSB specialises in the construction of highly complex naval ships including the integration of weapon combat systems. These vessels in steel, marine grade aluminium alloy and advanced composites are primarily designed for littoral warfare defence operations against air and surface threats as well as patrol tasks, coast guard work, law enforcement, electronic search missions, fisheries service and EEZ protection.

The Musaffah yard has the capability to conduct repairs, refits and upgrades for vessels up to 2,000 tonnes. ADSB’s technicians are on call round the clock to support vessels at sea or at any port in the Gulf region.

The company serves four market segments including naval ship construction; naval ship repairs, refits and upgrades; commercial ship construction, and commercial ship repairs.

Steady turnover of repair work
The company says it has a steady turnover of repair work on a variety of commercial vessels including tugs, barges, landing craft, hydrofoils, dredgers, and various oil industry workboats. 

Each year ADSB handles over 200 repair jobs with most involving dry berthing, although a growing number are performed off-site or afloat.

The company operates a 2,000-tonne Syncrolift and a 500-tonne travelift and has extensive dry berths for vessels of up to 100 m length.

ADSB has long-term drydocking agreements with offshore fleet operator Esnaad and Abu Dhabi’s petroleum ports operator Irshad. 

The company has fleet maintenance contracts with the UAE Navy, UAE Coast Guard and the UAE’s Critical National Infrastructure Authority.

It also has a joint venture with the UK’s BVT Surface Fleet and together the two launched Gulf Logistics and Naval Support LLC (GLNS), a new Abu Dhabi-based company, to offer a complete range of support services to maritime defence forces and other vessel operators in the GCC region.