In Cartagena, Colombia, the Corporación de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo de la Industria Naval, Marítima y Fluvial (COTECMAR) and Damen Shipyards Group have signed the contract for technical support and the supply of components for the construction of the Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (PES - Strategic Surface Platform) yesterday. It will be the first frigate to be built in Colombia. This is being done by COTECMAR based on Damen's SIGMA 10514 model.

The ship represents a significant investment in local employment and technological development of the Colombian maritime industry and thus in the national economy.

The ship will have a length of 107.5 meters and a beam of 14.02 meters. After Mexico and Brazil, Colombia will be the third country in Latin America that is able to build these types of complex naval vessels under license at its own shipyards.

The contract signing was attended by Reina Buijs, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Colombia, Vice Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo Obregón, Comandante de la Armada de Colombia, Vice Admiral Luis Fernando Marquez Velosa, President of COTECMAR, Roland Briene, Managing Director of Damen Naval and Pieter Becker, Commercial Director PES Colombia of Damen Naval.

Admiral Rozo spoke of a "historic day, both for the Colombian Navy and for COTECMAR". Roland Briene added that Damen Shipyards Group is particularly proud to be able to carry out this order together with COTECMAR. Pieter Becker indicated that he was looking forward to the start of the construction of this vessel and indicated that the order was partly due to the good cooperation that COTECMAR and Damen developed during the recent construction of the oceanographic and arctic research vessel Simón Bolívar.