The Ultimate Ship Building Race: Vietnam’s Emergency Directive to Success.

In the summer of 2015, Ship 8002 embarked on its first long-distance “trial by fire” journey, departing from the Song Thu Shipyard (Da Nang) on a beautiful day, with a voyage of over 2,000 nautical miles alongside the Ministry of Defense’s task force.

According to journalist Vu Lam from Nhan Dan newspaper, who was present on Ship 8002 during the voyage, the ship sailed through seas with wave levels of 5 to 6, yet it felt “as smooth as a ferry on a river.” Lieutenant Pham Van Chuyen, the ship’s main driver, stated that at that time, Ship 8002 was the “most modern multi-purpose ship in Southeast Asia.”

This was the second ship of the DN 2000 class built by Vietnam for the Coast Guard, based on the original design of the OPV-0914 patrol vessel by the Damen Shipyards Group in the Netherlands.

So far, the Vietnam Coast Guard has commissioned four DN 2000 patrol vessels (including CSB-8001, CSB-8002, CSB-8004, and CSB-8005). Notably, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper, two of these were built at a “breakneck” pace during the turbulent days in the East Sea when China illegally placed the HD-981 rig in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in 2014.

The urgent order and record-breaking shipbuilding

Ships CSB-8004 and CSB-8005 were ordered to be built during the heated days of the country’s maritime disputes, with an urgent completion mandate. The important tasks were assigned to Company 189, a member of the General Department of Defense Industry, and Song Thu Corporation (Logistics General Department – Ministry of Defense), respectively.

Just one year after the order was placed (November 22, 2014), precisely 370 days later, Ship CSB-8004 was officially launched (November 27, 2015), breaking the record for construction progress. Ship CSB-8005 also took only 12 months to complete.

Previously, Ship CSB-8001 was launched after 20 months of construction, while Ship CSB-8002 took over two years.

Thus, the construction time for Ships CSB-8004 and CSB-8005 was reduced to half that of Ship 8002 and significantly faster than Ship 8001.

Notably, the late Colonel Ha Son Hai, former Chairman and CEO of Song Thu Corporation, stated that it would take at least 18 months to build a ship like the DN-2000 class at the modern shipyards of the Damen Group.

However, thanks to technical improvements, Song Thu Corporation completed Ship CSB-8005 in just over 12 months, marking a significant advancement for the corporation and the Vietnamese shipbuilding industry as a whole.

“From the time of the order to the launch of Ship CSB-8005, it took only 12 months, reducing the construction time to two-thirds of the standard process. This is an incredible feat for a ship of this size” – Colonel Hai stated in an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper in 2016. The ship was launched on November 30, 2015.

He added that Ship CSB-8005, being the later model, was designed to be much more modern and powerful than Ship CSB-8001.

For instance, while Ship CSB-8001 has a maximum displacement of 2,100 tons and can operate stably in wave conditions up to level 9, Ship CSB-8005 has a displacement of 2,400 tons and can reach a speed of 21 nautical miles per hour in wave conditions up to level 12. The ship can operate continuously at sea for 40 days and nights, with a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

Additionally, according to the Government Portal, Ship CSB-8005 is equipped with modern weapons such as two 14.5mm guns, two 23mm cannons, and more. Notably, the ship features a helicopter deck measuring 17m x 13m that can accommodate a helicopter with a maximum takeoff weight of 14 tons, along with other synchronous equipment.

“Using the word ‘breakneck’ for this ship is not an exaggeration” – Colonel Hai emphasized.

Bas Loubert, a 29-year veteran in the shipping industry and a Damen Group ship expert, stated that all standards on Ship CSB-8005 meet international norms. He described the ship as “very powerful, second only to warships in terms of weaponry.”

Notably, 15,000 kilometers of electrical wiring have been installed to enable the fully automatic operation and control of the ship’s equipment.

The secret to the record-breaking achievement

One of the “secrets” behind Vietnam’s record-breaking progress in building the DN-2000 class ships is the modern module shipbuilding method pioneered by the Damen Group.

According to the International Association of Maritime, Mechanical, and Aerospace Engineers in Indonesia, the idea behind the module shipbuilding method is to achieve a lean production process.

With its superior advantages, the module shipbuilding method reduces the time a ship spends on the dock by up to 40% compared to the tower-type docking method, as the docking time is now primarily spent on assembling the modules.

Mr. Nilo Maniquis, a senior US ship systems and integration engineer, stated that adopting the module shipbuilding method also significantly reduces construction costs.

For example, the three contractors involved in building the Virginia-class attack submarines for the US, including General Dynamics [GD] Electric Boat [GD], and Newport News Shipbuilding, were able to save $400 million in construction costs for each submarine thanks to this method.

Additionally, the delivery time has been reduced from 84 months to 60 months. This is made possible by the modules, which streamline the time frame and skills required for installing the combat system, while also allowing for the relocation of complex production processes away from the ship.

Essentially, the module shipbuilding method involves assembling the ship from pre-equipped block modules.

To illustrate, Mr. Maniquis uses the example of installing bedroom amenities. In a traditional construction process, you would first build the walls, install electrical and plumbing systems, and then proceed to decorate and furnish the room with items like a bed, wardrobe, and lighting. This process demands that everything be done from scratch on-site and can be very time-consuming.

In contrast, the module method is like having a pre-assembled set of bedroom amenities that you can quickly bring in and install in the room. This approach saves time and effort because the complex components have already been manufactured and assembled elsewhere.

Applying this to shipbuilding makes the assembly process much simpler, thanks to the pre-equipped block modules that are almost completely outfitted with fixed equipment.

It also facilitates easier upgrades and reduces “downtime” during modernization.

In Vietnam, the successful application of the world’s fastest shipbuilding technology, based on technology transfer from the Damen Group, along with numerous technical improvements and productivity-enhancing processes, has led to the remarkable achievement of reducing the construction time of the DN-2000 class ships.

According to Colonel Ha Son Hai, the engineers, experts, and hundreds of workers of Song Thu Corporation worked tirelessly day and night to complete the ships as quickly as possible.

“The unsung heroes”

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the US highly appreciates Vietnam’s self-construction of patrol vessels for its Coast Guard.

According to AMTI, the DN-2000 class ships are the “backbone” of Vietnam’s Coast Guard fleet.

“Apart from this class, most of the other vessels of the Vietnam Coast Guard are built by domestic contractors, and this trend will undoubtedly continue as Vietnam’s shipbuilding capabilities continue to improve” – AMTI stated.

Meanwhile, the October 2024 issue of Asian Military Review magazine praised Vietnam’s maritime patrol force, stating that they possess a relatively large fleet of 110 patrol vessels across 13 different classes.

Among them, the largest vessels are the two Hamilton-class patrol ships transferred from the US and the four DN-2000 class patrol vessels with a displacement of 2,500 tons, built by Vietnam based on the original design of the OPV-0914 patrol vessel by the Damen Shipyards Group in the Netherlands.

The magazine referred to the maritime patrol force as the “unsung heroes” of national security, commending Vietnam for equipping its Coast Guard with modern patrol vessels. These ships, they noted, will help ensure essential maritime security in Vietnam’s coastal and offshore areas, thereby protecting a significant part of the country’s economy.