Gowind 2500-class

The Gowind 2500 is the combat-oriented member of Naval Group's Gowind family of corvettes and offshore patrol vessels, designed for surveillance, surface and anti-submarine warfare, escort and maritime security missions. The design draws on Naval Group's stealth shaping expertise, with a single enclosed mast carrying the SETIS combat system's sensors for 360-degree coverage and no conventional funnel.

Egypt became the launch customer in 2014, signing a roughly €1 billion contract for four ships — chosen by President Sisi over the German MEKO A200 and the Dutch Sigma. The lead ship El Fateh was built in Lorient and commissioned in September 2017, while the following three (Port Said, El Moez, Luxor) were built by Alexandria Shipyard under technology transfer. The United Arab Emirates ordered two modified ships in 2019, delivered as Bani Yas and Al Emarat in 2023-2024. The related Gowind 3100 was developed with Malaysia as the Maharaja Lela class.

Armament centers on 16 VL MICA surface-to-air missiles, eight Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles and a 76 mm Oto Melara gun, with torpedo launchers and a helicopter deck aft for a 10-ton helicopter. A CODAD plant delivers 25 knots and a range of 3,700 nautical miles at 15 knots with a core crew of 65 plus space for special forces. Egypt has explored ordering two additional Lorient-built ships, keeping the class central to the naval balance of the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea.