The Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) has launched its second foreign fighting Corvette, Al-Rahmani, at Portsmouth Naval Base, UK.

The Al-Rahmani is capable of serving sustained periods overseas and is designed to support the naval force in defending Omani waters and in tackling pirates in the Arabian Sea.

The 99m-long corvette will be capable of accommodating a crew of up to 100 with a navigational range of 3,500 miles.

The vessel also has a helicopter flight deck and can cruise at a maximum speed of 25kt.

Part of the Khareef contract signed in 2007, it is the second corvette of three designed and built by BAE Systems for the RNO.

BAE Systems Oman project director John Richardson said the ship with its leading edge technology is capable of operating in the high sea temperatures in Oman.

“There’ll be further sea trials for the engine, conflict systems and air conditioning as summer temperatures can reach 50° in Oman, when a realistic working temperature should be about 20°,” he said.

The first of the three corvettes, the Al-Shamikh, was commissioned in July 2009 and the third ship, the Al-Rasikh, is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2010.