French CMN builds landing craft for African client

The French shipyard CMN (Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie) has launched the manufacture of two landing craft tankers (LCT) for an undisclosed African country.
As Actu.fr reports, the vessels are being built on behalf of Privinvest and will be delivered in 2023 and 2025, according to Serge Quaranta, CEO of CMN.
This is a follow-up to a 2016 contract by Privinvest for around 20 ships bound for an African country, the publication reports.
The 70-meter-long ships will be able to carry 200 tons of payload, including 260 soldiers in addition to the crew of 18. Watertight bulkheads ensure survivability in the event of damage. A 5.25 meter boat can be launched by a crane.
Each LCT will be powered by two diesel engines driving two fixed-pitch propellers and giving a speed of 16 knots.
The LCTs are the largest vessels built by CMN since the corvette Baynunah (71 meters long), delivered to the United Arab Emirates in 2011.
CMN has sold vessels to other African countries including Angola and Mozambique. In 2016, Privinvest announced that it would establish a shipyard in Angola and supply several warships under a €495 million deal. Privinvest has facilities and shipyards in a number of countries, including France (CMN), Germany (German Kiel shipyards) and the Middle East.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the 2016 Angolan deal included three HSI 32 patrol boats, which were delivered in 2019, as well as a long-range offshore patrol boat and a short-range patrol boat. from France. The patrol vessels would be Vigilante-1400 and Vigilante-400 models built by CMN. Photos have recently emerged confirming the HSI 32s in Angolan service.
The HSI 32 is also in service with Mozambique, which in September 2013 signed a controversial €200 million deal with CMN to build the three Ocean Eagle 43s, three HIS 32 interceptors and 24 fishing vessels over a two-year period. year. HSI 32s were delivered to Mozambique from 2016.