The Royal Brunei Navy took delivery of two 80m OPVs at a ceremony in Germany on 7 January. The patrol vessels, KDB Darussalam and KDB Darulehsan, were handed over at the Lürssen Werft shipyard ahead of their expected arrival in Brunei in time for the 50th anniversary of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces in June. The ships are equipped with four anti-ship missiles and a medium-calibre gun. A third ship of the class, to be named Darulaman, was launched a day earlier, with delivery planned for August.
Lürssen has become something of a favourite with the oil-rich sultanate. The Bremen-based shipbuilder has also built a class of fast patrol boats for the Brunei Navy. The first pair of 41m Ijhtihad class vessels were commissioned in March 2010, with a second pair due in August. They have also been given the task of finding a buyer for three British-built corvettes.
