Maritime security: Navy takes delivery of Africa’s biggest ship tank To boost its maritime security operations, the Nigerian Navy (NN) on Friday took delivery of its Landing Ship Tank (LST) NNS KADA which was built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). NNS KADA, a 100-metre long roll-on-roll-off multipurpose vessel whose keel was laid in December 2019 at the Damen Shipyard in Sharjah, UAE, was launched 20 years after the navy decommissioned its last LST. With a capacity to carry over 250 passengers including 32 crew members and 16 embarked Special Forces, The Nation reports that NNS KADA is currently the largest LST in the whole of Africa which is designed for a range of duties including amphibious operations, strategic transport of equipment and troops, disaster relief, medical evacuation and humanitarian assistance. It also has a helicopter deck and significant space to carry troops and tanks for ground forces on special mission. Receiving the vessel at the NNS BEECROFT jetty on Friday, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, said it took the ship 56 days and a distance of 8,414.34 nautical miles to arrive Nigeria from UAE. “NNS KADA’s maiden voyage afforded the ship’s company opportunity to pay port calls in five countries, which include Port Duqm in Oman, Port Mombasa in Kenya and Port Cape Town in South Africa. “Others are Port Luanda in Angola and Port Gentil in Gabon.