VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has won an order for eleven(11) METIS RIBs from the Hellenic Navy, in a second deal calling for the company’s Greek branch VIKING Norsafe Life-Saving Equipment Hellas S.A. to supply this daughter craft type to the Greek naval force.
The new RIBs, which will be deployed predominantly to support search and rescue operations on delivery over the summer of 2020, will replace craft currently used on board larger vessels in the Helenic Navy’s fleet, including its MEKO-type frigates.
“I would like to congratulate our team for their dedication and hard work in putting together this successful tender,” said John Georgiadis Managing Director, VIKING Norsafe Life-Saving Equipment Hellas. “We were up against some very tough and well-established competitors but were able to meet and even exceed some very specific requirements from the client.”
The contract win followed an earlier successful commissioning of a pair of VIKING Norsafe METIS 600 units serving from the Helenic Navy’s new Fast Missile Launch Crafts(Roussen Class), Georgiadis added.
The VIKING Norsafe METIS RIB, which is robust enough to sustain top speeds of at least 30 knots, even fully loaded, comes complete with state-of-the-art navigation instruments. At between 6m and 7m in length, six of the latest RIBs will be fitted with a single outboard engine, with the other five featuring twin outboards. All 11 will be built at VIKING’s facility in Thiva, Greece, with the supplier also taking full responsibility for RIB technical support and maintenance.
“This is a great tender to win, and an important milestone that will further strengthen the position of the VIKING Norsafe METIS RIB and of VIKING Life-Saving Equipment in this market segment,” said Endre Eidsvik, VP Sales & Service of the VIKING Norsafe boats and davits division. “Being based on the very successful VIKING Norsafe METIS family of RIBs, these boats are easy to launch, highly maneuverable and versatile, and the ideal support tool for SAR operations.”