MV Francop
IDF soldiers boarding the Francop cargo ship
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: |
|
| Owner: | Francop Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. |
| Operator: | United Feeder Services |
| Port of registry: |
|
| Builder: | Sietas, Neuenfelde |
| Yard number: | 1166 |
| Completed: | August 2003 |
| Identification: |
|
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Length: | 137.50 m (451 ft 1 in) |
| Beam: | 21.30 m (69 ft 11 in) |
| Draught: | 7.47 m (24 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion: | 1 MaK 9M43 diesel engine, 8,400 kilowatts (11,300 hp) |
| Speed: | 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h) |
| Crew: | 11 |
The MV Francop is a German-owned, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged merchant cargo ship. In November 2009 the Israeli navy boarded the vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, suspecting that it was carrying weapons destined for Hezbollah from the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. Hundreds of tons of weapons were found on the ship, which was then directed to berth in Israel.
Built by Sietas of Neuenfelde and completed in August 2003, the ship was launched as Tavastland. It measures 137.50 metres (451 ft 1 in) long, with a beam of 21.30 metres (69 ft 11 in) and a draught of 7.47 metres (24 ft 6 in). Its MaK 9 M 43 diesel engine can reach a speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h). The ship has sailed under both the German and the British flags and is currently under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. It is currently owned by the German company Francop Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. A Cypriot company, United Feeder Services, operates the vessel.
On 4 November 2009, in an operation named Operation Four Species,Israeli navy commandos of Shayetet 13 boarded the ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea without resistance, acting on intelligence reports which it had received. The ship was about 160 kilometres (86 nmi) off the coast of Israel, near Cyprus. A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the ship was carrying "dozens of shipping containers, carrying numerous weapons, disguised as civilian cargo among hundreds of other containers on board". The IDF also claimed that the weapons originated from Iran and were to be directed to Hezbollah. The navy said that the crew was not aware of the purported smuggling and cooperated with Israeli commandos. After the boarding, the Israeli Navy directed the ship to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where a thorough inspection was held.
...
Wikipedia