ABU DHABI — In an unprecedented achievement, Emirates Classification Society “Tasneef” signs an agreement with Lockheed Martin – a global security, aerospace, and information technology company in the United States – to issue classification certificates and conduct inspection for a design of new naval vessel manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Eng. Rashed AlHebsi, CEO of Tasneef, said “in accordance with this agreement, our role is represented in conducting an inspection of the design presented by Lockheed Martin to manufacture a military vessel and make sure it complies with our specifications and standards as well as those set by international conventions in the field of shipbuilding; this design presented by Lockheed Martin is considered one of the latest designs developed by one of the largest military manufactures in the US.” AlHebsi added “Lockheed's selection of Tasneef is considered a recognition of our level of competence and expertise in the issuance of classification certificates and conducting inspections for the naval designs produced by one of the largest naval ship building companies in the world. This agreement places us at the level of other maritime classification societies that despite being in the market far longer than we have, some of which are still unable to provide these advanced technical services.” Capt. Waleed AlNahdi, Marketing and Commercial Director at Tasneef, said in accordance with the agreement Lockheed Martin will receive two types of certificates, the first is classification and specifications inspection certificates, and the second is the finalized certificate that confirms that the new design complies with the specifications and international conventions in maritime ship-building. Tasneef has already started the inspection and assessment process on the design, which will take up to 6 months, after which Lockheed Martin will review its design taking into consideration the remarks and recommendations presented by the inspection and the engineering team at Tasneef. This new designed vessel that is being currently classified by Tasneef is considered a new addition to the military vessels collection developed by Lockheed Martin, the most important of which are multi-purpose vessels that outweigh their other offshore combat vessels when it comes to their features, and capabilities, not to mention being larger than their counterparts. The company is also manufacturing surface multi-task combat vessels with operational advantages that include the strongest existing combat systems currently in service. AlNahdi added: “Upon completion of this mission and modifying the design by Lockheed Martin in accordance with our observations, the company will promote and market the new naval vessel as an added value offered by them and classified by Tasneef. That features us features us as a quality label that enhances the competitiveness of the ships certified by us upon entry to the Gulf and Arab world market.” Signing this agreement is considered an important step for Tasneef towards achieving one of the most crucial strategic objectives for its establishment; the countries in the region have long looked forward to having a national and an Arab house of expertise that checks the reliability and suitability of the ships and military pieces purchased by the military as one of the most important national and regional security pillars. Today, Tasneef is fully capable of doing this mission and this agreement will drive the UAE and Arab marine military industries towards more leadership and excellence on the global level and national and Arab factories will find a local environment that meets their needs. Thereby, Tasneef has added a new sector to its key services sectors that was initiated by launching “Sahara” notation which is specialized in the specifications of building and operating ships working in areas with hot temperatures. That will help ship owners reduce the cost of manufacturing and operating ships by 15%; then came the accreditation of Tasneef to issue gulf specification certificates for ships that are not covered by international conventions “GCC Code”. Tasneef contributed to launching the UAE yacht code, the first of its kind in the world to improve the safety, security, and quality specifications in yachts and cruise ships. Tasneef has recently launched a maritime academy to prepare engineering teams in the field of maritime inspection and classification. Tasneef has also started to play a key role in railway projects in the region through providing inspection and classification services, and identifying standards for trains and railroad facilities to form a base for a series of activities and economic initiatives that in total will form a comprehensive Arab economy in marine services. — SG
