Full Breakdown
KERSHIP Launches First OPV 60M Patrol Vessel for Montenegro
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Launch of PETAR NJEGOS I
On September 11, 2026, KERSHIP—a joint venture of PIRIOU and Naval Group—launched PETAR NJEGOS I, the first of two 60-meter offshore patrol vessels ordered by the Montenegrin Navy. The ceremony took place at KERSHIP’s Lanester shipyard in France and was attended by Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic, Minister of Defence Dragan Krapovic, Ambassador Dubravka Lalovic, French Ambassador Cécile Humbert-Bouvet, and representatives of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA).
Background & Context: Franco-Montenegrin Defence Cooperation
The programme stems from a defence agreement signed between France and Montenegro in April 2024, supported by the DGA. It follows President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Montenegro in May 2026, where he highlighted the growing partnership.
Technical Profile of the OPV 60M
- Length: 62.95 m | Beam: 9.50 m | Draft: 2.70 m | Displacement: ~550 t
- Speed/Range: 21 knots, 9,700 nm
- Propulsion: twin diesel-electric engines, fixed-pitch propellers, bow thruster, active stabilisation
- Crew: 24 regular + 16 specialist slots
- Armament: 40 mm CTA gun, two 12.7 mm machine guns (remotely operated)
- Equipment: CBRN protection cell, hull-mounted sonar, two 6.80 m RHIBs, 7.5 t crane, two 20-ft container slots, POLARIS® mission-management system, onboard UAV
- Capabilities: diver operations, Special Forces deployment, surveillance
These features support maritime surveillance, border control, counter-piracy, search and rescue, pollution response, humanitarian assistance, and Special Forces missions.
Timeline of the Programme
- April 2024: Defence agreement signed.
- September 11 2026: Launch of PETAR NJEGOS I.
- April 2027 (expected): Delivery to the Montenegrin Navy.
- Early 2027 (expected): Launch of PETAR NJEGOS II.
Official Statements & Responses
KERSHIP officials called the launch a “great source of pride” and said it shows the French naval industry’s ability to meet foreign navies’ needs. President Marie Eugénie Cotelle noted the upcoming April 2027 delivery and highlighted the design’s versatility.
Montenegrin officials, including Becic and Krapovic, stressed the vessels’ strategic importance for safeguarding Montenegro’s Adriatic gateway.
Strategic Significance
The two OPV 60M vessels boost Montenegro’s naval presence in the Adriatic, a key corridor for European maritime traffic. With CBRN protection, sonar and Special Forces facilities, the ships can address conventional threats, illicit trafficking and environmental incidents. The programme also reinforces Montenegro’s NATO commitments and deepens defence industrial ties with France, offering a model for future European cooperation.