Damen to Build Oil Spill Response and SAR Vessel for the Lithuanian Navy

Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract with the Lithuanian Navy to build a pollution incident response and search-and-rescue (SAR) vessel based on the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 6711 design. The signing took place in Vilnius on 29 October 2026, following a public tender organized by the Environmental Project Management Agency, under the Ministry of Environment of Lithuania. The new vessel will replace an existing unit in the fleet and will strengthen the country's capacity to respond to maritime emergencies.

The signing ceremony was attended by Robertas Kaunas, Minister of National Defence; Ieva Andriulaitytė, Minister of Environment; Gvidas Dargužas, Director of the Environmental Project Management Agency; General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Chief of Defence of Lithuania; Captain Tadas Jablonskis, Commander of the Lithuanian Navy; the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Caecilia T. M. Wijgers; and Bram Langeveld, Commercial Director of Damen.

The vessel will measure 67.3 meters, with a top speed of 23 knots and a range of 8,000 nautical miles, accommodating a crew of 24, additional mission personnel and up to 50 survivors. For spill response, it will be equipped with a FiFi 1 firefighting system and DP1 dynamic positioning, while for search-and-rescue operations it will carry two davit-launched boats and an onboard medical facility.

The vessel will feature a working deck with a centerline crane and space for up to six 20-foot containers of 15 tonnes each, with a transfer system located beneath the flight deck. That helicopter deck will be able to operate aircraft the size of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk for medical evacuations and vertical replenishment, while a stern-mounted folding platform will enable emergency towing operations. The hull, built to ice class 1D, is designed to operate in Baltic Sea conditions.

According to Ports News, the contract was signed with Damen Workboats B.V., and the project, valued at €49.5 million ($55.3 million), is being financed with €40 million from the European Regional Development Fund and approximately €9.5 million contributed by Lithuania. Delivery is scheduled for late summer 2029, and the vessel will replace the Šakiai, in service since 1987, which has a top speed of about 10 knots compared with the new vessel's 23 knots.

Beyond its core functions, the OPV 6711 will be able to incorporate containerized mission modules for tasks such as unmanned systems, mine countermeasures, hydrographic surveys, command and control, diving support, medical assistance, or humanitarian and disaster relief aid, giving the Lithuanian Navy flexible capability for future joint missions with the country's armed forces.