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Royal Moroccan Navy Bir Anzaran OPV-70 patrol vessel
Class overview
Name	OPV-70
Builders	Raidco Marine Lorient STX France SA
Operators	Royal Moroccan Navy
Built	2008–present
In service	2011–present
Planned	4
Completed	1
Active	1
General characteristics
Class and type	Bir Anzaran class
Type	offshore patrol vessel
Displacement	800 tonnes
Length	70 m
Beam	11,3 m
Draught	3,25 m
Installed power	8.16 MW (5 500 cv)
Propulsion	2 x Wärtsilä 12V26 diesel engines
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h)
Range	4200 Nm (7780 km) @ 12 knots
Endurance	15 days
Boats & landing craft carried	Fast intervention craft on the deck
Complement	64 officers; ratings 4 pax
Sensors and processing systems	Surface search: DECCA Bridgemaster II radar
Armament	1 × Otobreda 76 mm 1 × Bofors 40mm 2 × 14,5 mm MG 2 × 12,7 mm MG
Aviation facilities	helicopter landing pad / no hangar

OPV-70 is an Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Royal Moroccan Navy, designed by Raidco Marine and built at STX France SA.

The first vessel received, was named after the Battle of Bir Anzaran, between the Polisario Front and Royal Armed Forces in 1979.

Definition of the Equipment and requirements

The main mission is the surveillance of Moroccan EEZ and control of fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean, with secondary roles including detecting illegal immigration, smuggling and drug trafficking and supporting counter terrorism and search and rescue patrols along Moroccan coasts.

Bir Anzaran is the first in a series, which will include three more units: P342, P343 and P344 with an option for two more. The Moroccan EM (Etat Major) now discuss the purchase of a more sophisticated and advanced version for the three last ships to be built.

Its hull is made of steel and aluminum structures, for a displacement of 800 tonnes with a maximum speed of 22 knots.

It received its weapons at the port of Casablanca:

• x1 Otobreda 76 mm
• x1 Bofors 40mm
• 2 x 14,5 mm MG
• 2 x 12,7 mm MG

Ships

References

1. STX Europe main page
2. Janes Navy International
3. ^ Specifications for Bir Anzaran (OPV 70) class Offshore Patrol Vessel, on seaforces
4. GlobalSecurity – Moroccan Navy equipment

v t e Military of Morocco
Leadership	Civilian King of Morocco (Supreme Commander and Chief-of-Staff) Abdellatif Loudiyi (Minister-Delegate for the Administration of National Defense) Military Major-General Mohammed Berrid (Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces)
Branches	Royal Moroccan Army Commander: Major-General Mohammed Berrid Royal Moroccan Navy Commander: Captain Major Mohamed Tahin Royal Moroccan Air Force Commander: Major-General El Abed Bouhamid Alaoui Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie Commander: Major-General Mohamed Haramou Auxiliary Forces Commanders: Colonel-Major Mustapha Hdioud (southern division), Brigadier General Khaled Jabrane (northern division) Moroccan Royal Guard Commander: Brigade General Abdelaziz Chatar Military Intelligence Abdelfattah Louarak (Commander of the Third Bureau) General Mohamed Maïche (Commander of the Fifth Bureau)
Former commanders	Mimoun Mansouri Hamidou Laanigri Belkhir El Farouk Abdelfattah Louarak Bouchaib Arroub Abdelaziz Bennani Abdelhak El Kadiri Mohamed Achahbar Ahmed Dlimi Mohamed Oufkir Mohamed Bachir El Bouhali Driss Ben Omar Benhammou Kettani
Operations and history	History Moroccan Army of Liberation Moroccan Goumier Black Guard Guich Jaysh al-Rifi Wars involving Morocco Battles involving Morocco Morocco in World War II Marche Verte
Equipment	Land List of equipment of the Royal Moroccan Army Sea List of ships of the Royal Moroccan Navy Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah Abou El Barakat Al Barbari Lieutenant Colonel Errhamani Tariq ibn Ziyad Commandant Al Khattabi Air List of aircraft and armament of the Royal Moroccan Air Force
Category Commons

v t e Ship classes of the Royal Moroccan Navy
Frigates	FREMM frigate Floréal class
Corvettes	FMMM Descubierta class
Offshore patrol vessels	OPV-70 OPV-64 Osprey 55 class Lazaga class Cormoran class PR-72P class
Landing vessels	BATRAL LST

• Patrol vessels of Morocco
• Patrol boat classes