China to export new-type patrol ship to West AfricaThe first new-type patrol ship F91 that China plans to export to Nigeria has been launched.It will be delivered in the middle of 2014 as scheduled. It will become the first ship of theNigerian navy's P18N project. During an interview, Major General Yin Zhuo pointed outthat the F91 is equipped with three cannons and allows the take-off and landing ofhelicopters, which will considerably enhance its ability to search for suspect targets.
In early April 2012, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan confirmed that Nigeria wouldpurchase two 1,800-ton offshore patrol ships from China. According to the plan, theconstruction of the hull and deck of the first ship in the project would be carried out inChina. The rest of the system installation, integration and debugging will be carried out inNigeria.
This ship will be tailored to the needs of the Nigerian navy, and will be used to carry outsuch missions as guarding oilfields, patrolling the seas, protecting fisheries, carrying outmarine supervision, carrying out search and rescue, and controlling pollution. After itscompletion, it will become the largest and the most advanced ship in the Nigerian fleet.
According to Yin Zhuo, the F91 does not carry any anti-ship missile, but has a 76-mmmedium-caliber cannon and two 30-mm caliber cannons. The former has a high firing rate,and can do more serious damage. The latter can attack close-range targets.
There F91 is also equipped with a hangar at the rear of the deck. As a take-off and landingplatform for helicopters, it can not only assist warships in large-scale searches, but alsoguide ships to intercept suspect targets in the vicinity.
（Editor：YanMeng、Huang Jin） Related reading
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