Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Montenegro Visit KERSHIP Shipyard

December 19, 2025

Aleksa Bečić, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro (in the centre), and Mr. Dragan Krapovic, Minister of Defense of Montenegro 2nd right) visiting KERSHIP in Lanester © PIRIOU

KERSHIP welcomed Mr. Aleksa Bečić, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, and Mr. Dragan Krapovic, Minister of Defense of Montenegro on Wednesday, December 17, at its Lanester site.

This second visit marks a significant step forward since the construction launch ceremony of the first offshore patrol vessel. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense were accompanied by members of their cabinet, senior officers from the Montenegrin Army and Navy Ms. Dubravka Lalovic, Ambassador of Montenegro to France, as well as local authorities.

This technical visit, conducted as part of the construction program of the two OPV 60M offshore patrol vessels, allowed the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister to assess the progress of the first ship, seven months after the cutting of the first steel plate, which took place on April 24.

For the first time since construction began, Deputy Prime Minister Bečić and Minister Krapović were symbolically able to go aboard the first patrol vessel, marking an important milestone in the program. The KERSHIP teams presented the progress of the works, the integration of the main equipment onboard, as well as the upcoming industrial milestones.

Delivery of the first OPV 60M, PETAR I, is scheduled for April 2027, while the second vessel, PETAR II, will follow approximately six months later. Representatives of the Ministry were also able to observe the start of construction of the second vessel during the workshop tour.

The acquisition of the OPV 60M vessels represents the second largest defense investment undertaken by Montenegro since its independence in 2006. This program supports the modernization of the country’s naval capabilities and anticipates its expected accession to the European Union in 2028, as well as the strengthening of its operational contribution to NATO forces in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

The visit was led on site by Montenegrin Navy officers based in Lanester, responsible for industrial project monitoring, in coordination with KERSHIP and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA).