Recently, Damen Shipyards Antalya hosted a kick-off meeting attended by delegations from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Turkish Coast Guard (TURCG) Command, Presidency of Migration Management (PMM), the European Union Delegation, the Netherlands Embassy in Türkiye, and Damen Shipyards Group.
The meeting marks the recent contract signing between Damen and the IOM for the delivery of thirteen Search and Rescue (SAR) 1906 vessels to be operated by the Turkish Coast Guard, within the framework of the European Union-funded project “Improving the Turkish Coast Guard's Operational Capacity through the Supply of Search and Rescue Boats”.
Damen previously delivered six SAR 1906 vessels to the TURCG in 2016, followed by nine further vessels in 2019, within the framework of IOM’s European Union-supported projects.
Damen will deliver these thirteen vessels over the course of 2027 and 2028. The vessels will be operated by the TURCG to support search-and-rescue operations at sea.
Built in Türkiye for Türkiye
All of the vessels will be constructed at Damen Shipyards Antalya. Damen has been operating the yard, located in the Antalya Free Zone, since 2013. Damen Shipyards Antalya delivers in the region of 28 vessels per year. This is facilitated by a team of highly skilled, locally-based colleagues, as well as the local maritime supply chain.
Damen Regional Sales Director Emre Turkoz said, “On behalf of Damen, I am very grateful once again for the trust placed in our organisation for the construction of these latest SAR vessels. I am looking forward to continuing to develop the strong partnership between ourselves, the IOM, the Turkish Coast Guard and the European Union over the coming years as we work together on delivering these vessels.”
Ready for anything
The SAR 1906 is a lightweight, aluminium vessel with a composite wheelhouse. The 19.5 metres long, 6.5 metre wide rescue craft is able to achieve speeds up to 30 knots.
It is designed to operate in all weather conditions, as demonstrated by the over 90% operational availability shown by the vessels already operating with the Turkish Coast Guard. Adding to this workability is the vessel’s ability to self-right within seconds of rolling or capsizing.
Its Damen Sea Axe bow ensures low resistance in the water and high fuel efficiency. In addition to the crew of six, the SAR 1906 is able to carry up to 120 survivors. To date, the vessels already in operation in Türkiye have helped to save over 27,000 lives.
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