Vosper Thornycroft MK9
Encyclopedia
The MK9 was disaged for the Nigerian Navy
in the 1970's. Two ships were built by Vosper Thornycroft. The NNS Erinomi was launched on 20 January 1977 and commissioned on 29 January 1980. She stopped making patrols in 1993 due to constant breakdowns. In 1994-1995 she underwent a refit at Lagos which at least made her seaworthy again, but with some systems off-line. Erinomi participated in a December 1995 naval exercise that apparently took quite a toll on the ship as she rarely left port thereafter. In 1997, minor repairs allowed her to again undertake patrols but by 2007 the ship was again non-operational.
Her sister ship the NNS Enyimiri was launched 9 February 1978 and commissioned on 2 May 1980. She had ceased patrols in 1992 and by 1996 was in such bad shape that some sources stated she had been sold as scrap. However in 2000 a major repair effort allowed her to leave port again, although with most sensors and some weapons off-line. In December 2004, Enyimiri suffered a massive explosion resulting in crew fatalities and severe damage to the ship, which is unlikely to see further service.
Nigerian Navy
The Nigerian Navy is a branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Navy is among the largest Navies on the African continent, consisting of about 15,000 personnel, including those of the Coast Guard.-Brief History:...
in the 1970's. Two ships were built by Vosper Thornycroft. The NNS Erinomi was launched on 20 January 1977 and commissioned on 29 January 1980. She stopped making patrols in 1993 due to constant breakdowns. In 1994-1995 she underwent a refit at Lagos which at least made her seaworthy again, but with some systems off-line. Erinomi participated in a December 1995 naval exercise that apparently took quite a toll on the ship as she rarely left port thereafter. In 1997, minor repairs allowed her to again undertake patrols but by 2007 the ship was again non-operational.
Her sister ship the NNS Enyimiri was launched 9 February 1978 and commissioned on 2 May 1980. She had ceased patrols in 1992 and by 1996 was in such bad shape that some sources stated she had been sold as scrap. However in 2000 a major repair effort allowed her to leave port again, although with most sensors and some weapons off-line. In December 2004, Enyimiri suffered a massive explosion resulting in crew fatalities and severe damage to the ship, which is unlikely to see further service.