Navantia finally clarified on December 16, 2005. The company's site doesn't have URLs for its releases, so this copy on defense-aerospace will do:
"Navantia and the Navy of Venezuela signed on November 28th a contract for the construction of eight patrol vessels for a total amount of more than 1.2 billion euros: 4 patrols vesels for the control and protection of the exclusive economic area, and 4 patrols vessels for the control of the coast.
These ships have been designed by Navantia for defence missions of the sea around Venezuela: protection of the fishing area, protection against smuggling and drug traffic, as well as the defence of maritime traffic in general.
Besides the important work for the shipyards of Navantia until 2012, this contract means an important commercial milestone for the company, as it outlines its position in this market, with its own latest-generation project."
Coastal Vessels:
Length: 76.10 m.
Width: 11.50 m.
Depth: 7 m.
Displacement: 1,500 t.
Speed: 22 knots
Range: 4,000 miles
Crew: 34 + 30
Economic Area Vessels:
Length: 96.60 m.
Width: 13.60 m.
Depth: 7.20 m.
Displacement: 2,300 t.
Speed: 24 knots
Range: 3,500 miles
Crew: 60 + 32
The news characterization of 4 of the vessels as "corvettes" was not wrong, given their listed size of 96 meters. Compare with Sweden's very well-armed and lethal Visby Class Corvette at 72m. On the other hand, the US Coast guard has cutters in the 76-96m range, including the WHEC High Endurance Cutters (115m), WMEC Medium Endurance Cutters (64-82m), and the proposed new "Deepwater" designs for the National Security Cutter (127m) and Offshore Patrol Cutter (109m). The larger Venezuelan ships are carefully described as "Economic Area Vessels" by Navantia, however, and no details re: armament are reported.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ven ... ted-01560/
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