Bangladesh lays keel for second batch of Padma-class patrol vessels

The Padma-class patrol vessel. Photo c/o Jane's Defence Weekly.

Bangladeshi shipyard Khulna Shipyard Ltd. has started keel laying on a second batch of five (5) Padma-class patrol vessels for the Bangladesh Navy (BN).

The keel laying ceremonies was held on 2 December 2019 in the company's facilities in Khulna, and was attended by the BN's Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Aurangzeb Chowdhury.

The 50.4 meter long ships are based on a design from China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, which participated in building the first batch of the same ship class that entered service with the BN in 2013.

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding operates through the China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Corporation (CSOC)

Khulna Shipyard received the contract to build the second batch of 5 new ships for the BN on 20 May 2019. This was followed with a collaboration contract between Khulna Shipyards and CSOC on the same month.

The Padma-class has a displacement of 270 tons, an overall beam of 7.5 meters and hull draught of 1.9 meters. It has a crew of 31 officers and sailors, and armed with a Norinco twin 37mm guns and two 20mm guns.


[1] Jane's Defence Weekly