KERSHIP Launches First Offshore Patrol Ship for Montenegrin Navy

On September 11, the first of two patrol ships ordered by Montenegro's navy slid down the slipway at KERSHIP's Lanester shipyard in France. KERSHIP named it Petar Njegoš I.

The launch brought together Montenegro's Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić and Defence Minister Dragan Krapović. Their country's ambassador in France, Dubravka Lalovic, attended. So did France's ambassador to Montenegro, Cécile Humbert-Bouvet, and representatives of France's defence procurement agency, the DGA.

Outfitting and sea trials come next. Naval News reported delivery to the Montenegrin Navy is due in April 2027.

The second ship, Petar Njegoš II, is due for launch in the first quarter of 2027.

Sea trials are a separate milestone after launch; our coverage of TCG İzmir's first sea acceptance trials describes that stage in another naval programme. Elsewhere, Italy's former Giuseppe Garibaldi has entered Indonesian waters as KRI Sriwijaya, following a different route to fleet renewal through a transferred ship. Operational availability matters after delivery too: USCGC Healy's engine failure interrupted its Arctic patrol.