The Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX 2018) announced the (provisional) list of visiting vessels for this year's event. Hamad Port, one of the Middle East’s largest port, is set to welcome for the first time the Visiting Warship Display at its state-of-the-art facilities. The recently opened 28.5 square kilometres Hamad Port, operated by Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar), boasts a 4 km long, 700 meters wide, and 17 meters deep basin, enabling it to harbour some of the world’s largest seafaring ships.
Marking a 10th anniversary this year, DIMDEX 2018 will be held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani,Emir of the State of Qatar, and will be hosted and organised by Qatar Armed Forces, over three days from 12-14 March at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
Hosted off-site from the QNCC, the extensive display of visiting warships will be comprised of several types of vessels including destroyers, frigates, and fast-attack craft, to amphibious transport docks from the region and beyond. To date, DIMDEX has received over 70 warships at previous editions.
DIMDEX File picture: BNS Bangabandhu.
BNS Bangabandhu is a guided missile frigate of the Bangladesh Navy. It was build by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of South Korea and commissioned in 2001. It is one of the most modern vessel currently in service with the Bangladesh Navy. It is based on the ROK Navy Ulsan-class frigate.
Displacement: 2400-2500 tones
Length: 103.7 m (340 ft)
Beam: 12.5 m (41 ft)
Draught: 3.8 m (12 ft)
DIMDEX File picture: INS Kolkata
INS Kolkata is the lead ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. She was constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in India, and commissioned with the Indian Navy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a ceremony held on 16 August 2014. There are now three destroyers in this class which is regarded as the most potent surface combatant in the Indian Navy fleet.
Displacement: 7,500 tons
Length: 163 m (535 ft)
Beam: 17.4 m (57 ft)
DIMDEX File picture: FREMM Carlo Margottini.
Carlo Margottini (F 592) is a FREMM frigate of the Italian Navy specialized in anti-submarine warfare. It was built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri and commissioned in February 2014. It is the third Italian FREMM overhall and the second unit of the Virginio Fasan-class.
Displacement: 6,700 tones
Length: 144 m (474 ft)
Beam: 19.7 m (65 ft)
Draught: 8.7 m (29 ft)
DIMDEX File picture: Khassab.
Khassab is the fourth (of four) Al-Ofouq-class patrol vessel of the Royal Navy of Oman. The vessel was built by Singapore shipyard ST Marine and commissioned in August 2016. The Al-Ofouq-class is based on the 75m variant of the 55m Fearless-class patrol vessel currently used by the Republic of Singapore Navy.
Displacement: 1,100 tonnes
Length: 75 m (246 ft)
Beam: 10.8 m (35 ft)
Draught: 3.3 m (11 ft)
DIMDEX File picture: PMSS Basol.
PMSS Basol is the second (of four) Hingol-class maritime patrol vessels (MPV) built for the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA). These ships are built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) in partnership with Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KS&EW). Commissioning of the first ship of the class took place in January 2017.
Displacement: 600 tonnes
Length: 68 m
Beam: 8.7 mBeam: 8.7 m
DIMDEX File picture: PNS Himmat.
PNS Himmat is the third (of four) Azmat-class Azmat class fast attack crafts of the Pakistan Navy. The design is Chinese by CSSC. The class is based on the Chinese Type 037II Houjian-class missile boat. PNS Himmat was built in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Ltd. It was commissioned in July 2017.
Displacement: 560 tons
Length: 206 ft 7 in (62.97 m)
Beam: 28 ft 9 in (8.76 m)Beam: 8.7 m
DIMDEX File picture: USS Sampson.
USS Sampson (DDG-102) is a Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was built by Bath Iron Works and commissioned in November 2007. USS Sampson is homeported in Everett, Washington.
Displacement: 9,200 tons
Length: 509 ft 6 in (155.30 m)
Beam: 66 ft (20 m)
Draft: 31 ft (9.4 m)
A Mk VI Patrol Boat. US Navy picture.
The primary mission of Mark VI Patrol Boats is to provide capability to persistently patrol littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays for the purpose of force protection of friendly and coalition forces and critical infrastructure. These missions include: security force assistance (SFA); high value unit (HVU) shipping escort; visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations; and theater security cooperation (TSC). The Mark VI program of record is for a total of 12 boats, all boats are to be delivered by the end of the 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2018.
Displacement: 72 tons
Length 82 ft (25 m)
Width 22 ft (6.7 m)
Draft: 4 ft (1.2 m)
RFA Cardigan Bay. picture.
RFA Cardigan Bay is a Bay-class landing ship dock of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Built by BAE Systems, the ship was commissioned into the RFA at the end of 2006.
Displacement: 16,160 t (15,905 long tons) full load
Length: 579.4 ft (176.6 m)
Beam: 86.6 ft (26.4 m)
Draught: 19 ft (5.8 m)
HMS Ledbury. Brian Burnell picture.
HMS Ledbury, is the second Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel of the Royal Navy. She was built by Vosper Thornycroft and commissioned on 11 June 1981.
Displacement: 750 t (740 long tons; 830 short tons)
Length: 60 m (196 ft 10 in)
Beam: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Draught: 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
