Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), a specialist in the construction, repair and refit of naval, military and commercial vessels, said it has delivered the second 42m Landing Craft to the Royal Bahrain Naval Force.

An official ceremony was held on Tuesday to mark the delivery of Al Hamra, which is the last under a four-vessel contract won by Abu Dhabi company in 2008, said a company statement.

ADSB said it had delivered a total of two 16m fast landing craft and two 42m landing craft to the Bahrain navy, all built at its dock in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi.

This project affirms the ship builder’s ability to build high quality naval ships at competitive prices in its modern and fully-equipped facilities, the statement added.

The 16m units, which were delivered in late 2009, can rapidly deploy personnel and supplies. They can reach speeds of over 35 knots when traveling light or 25 knots when carrying a payload of 6 tonnes.

The 42m craft are based on vessels serving the UAE Navy and are designed for troop, vehicle and cargo transport with beach deployment capability. The first one was delivered in early 2010 ahead of program schedule.

"Today’s launch of the second 42m vessel is another major step forward in our growth as a preferred supplier and service provider for GCC’s maritime military markets,” said Mohammed Salem Al Junaibi, acting chief executive officer, ADSB.

“This has been a very fulfilling project for us and we are proud to have provided excellent high-quality, mission-capable vessels to a very important customer. Once again we have shown how we can deliver world-class vessels that exceed the technical and quality requirements of our clients on time,” he remarked.

"It is highly productive to engage a customer that works closely with you on a project such as this. The convenient geographical location and shared understanding on the construction of an excellent vessel has ensured advanced delivery."

"This partnership clearly demonstrates how the ability to build world-class vessels at competitive prices in a convenient local geographical location is becoming the preferred choice of the region’s market,” Junaibi added.-TradeArabia News Service