MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish shipyard starts building OPVs for Uruguay

The Spanish shipyard Cardama began this week constructing the first of two ocean patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Uruguayan Navy, marked by the cutting of the first steel plate for the vessel, temporarily named “C-250.” This milestone follows initial payments by the Uruguayan government and the delivery of Lloyd’s certificates approving the design. The keel-laying is scheduled for May 2025.

These vessels, designed by Cintranaval and certified by Lloyd’s Register, will enhance Uruguay’s maritime surveillance and sovereignty with a 7,000-nautical-mile range, a top speed of 21 knots powered by Caterpillar engines (10,120 kW), and a crew capacity of 98. They will be equipped with a 30mm cannon and two 12.7mm machine guns from Escribano, fire control systems from Terma, and a helicopter/UAV platform, supporting tasks like patrol, search and rescue, and exercises.

Cardama named the ships C-250 and C-251 pending an official naming from the Uruguayan Navy.

The ordering of these two OPVs sparked controversy in Montevideo, with Chinese bidders claiming the tendering process was not entirely clear. Although Uruguayan authorities said they chose Cardama because it reportedly met the requirements set forth by the National Navy itself, such as the need for armament, a heliport, as well as other conditions for the fulfillment of the mission of caring for natural resources and the repression of illegal fishing, Admiral Gustavo Musso requested to be relieved from active service after pointing out that this company had no experience in the construction of this type of units. Out of a total of eight international bids, Cardama's represented the smaller cost and the fastest delivery date, it was argued.

In addition, the Uruguayan Senate's Defense Committee received a letter from China's Shipbuilding Trade (CTSC), which had participated in the bidding process and questioned Montevideo's final call. A tender in 2021 was declared void because all the proposals exceeded the Defense Ministry's budget of US$ 120 million. China's was the cheapest, at US$ 168 million. When a new call was made, China lowered its price and made itself available for negotiation.

Musso penned a report in which he concluded that the best offer was that of the Spanish shipyard Godan, followed by the shipyards Cotecmar, from Colombia; Kership, from France; South Korea's Hyundai, and only then came Cardama.

CTSC argued that the specifications “were never defined” in the second call for tenders. “We went from an 89-page document with requirements, guarantees, weighting factors, evaluation scores, etc., to receiving the requirements by phone or in a note of less than half a page.” The company insisted that it had sent a second offer fitting the budget.

Then-Broad Front Senator (and current Defense Minister) Sandra Lazo insisted repeatedly that Uruguay should pull out from the deal with Cardama, a company risking bankruptcy. “Transparency and follow-up commissions were presented, which fell by the wayside because many times the press had more information than what was given in those areas which were announced with great fanfare,” Lazo pointed out. “Let's reshuffle and deal again,” she added, despite admitting that the OPVs were needed.

In addition, former President José Pepe Mujica insisted “the Chinese market cannot be ignored” and said that the Uruguayan Government's decision of Luis Lacalle Pou (2020-2025) to pick Cardama was “a diplomatic mistake” because the Chinese ”write down everything, they are neat. To go and talk to a Chinese diplomat is to know that there are three or four people who are listening over there and taking note of everything, down to the last detail. The Chinese send ambassadors who speak Spanish and who were previously educated in Latin American universities. They do not improvise anything. They are not like the Americans who send us an ambassador who does not speak a word of Spanish. They don't make those mistakes.” Hence, an apology to China was in order, Mujica contended.