GNS Stephen Otu

GNS Stephen Otu is a Chamsuri-class patrol boat offshore patrol vessel in service with the Ghana Navy. The vessel was originally built by Korea Tacoma for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) as ROKS PKM 237. In 2011, PKM 237, was transferred to the Ghanaian Navy and renamed Stephen Otu as a donation. The vessel's primary purposes include maritime domain awareness, law enforcement, vessel inspection, naval development, search and rescue, and small boat maintenance. Various illicit activities the vessel is designed to prevent within Ghanaian territorial waters include piracy, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, drug trafficking, and oil bunkering.

Design and description
The Chamsuri-class patrol boats were designed in the 1970s as the basis for South Korea's coastal defense against North Korean amphibious incursions. The ships measure 33.10 m long overall and 31.25 m at the waterline with a beam of 6.92 m and a draft of 1.75 m and 2.45 m at the propellers. The Chamsuris have a light displacement of 113 t and 156 t at full load. The ships have a complement of 31 including 5 officers.

The patrol boats are powered by two MTU 16V MD538 TU90 diesel engines turning two propellers creating 10800 bhp or 9000 bhp sustained. The ships have two 50 kW diesel generator sets for electricity production. The Chamsuris were designed for a maximum speed of 38 kn but can sustain a speed of 32 kn. The ships have a range of 500 nmi at 32 knots or 1000 nmi at 20 kn. The ship carries 15 t of fuel.

In Korean service, the ship was armed with a single 40 mm gun, a pair of 30 mm Emerlac anti-aircraft (AA) guns situated in a single mount, two single-mounted 20 mm AA guns and two single-mounted 12.7 mm machine guns. The vessel was equipped with Raytheon 1645 navigational/surface search radar.

Construction and career
The ship was constructed by Korea Tacoma Marine Industries at Chinghae in 1982. Entering service that year as PKM 237, the ship remained operational until 2008. In 2010 South Korea entered into negotiations with Ghana over the donation of the ship to the African nation. PKM 237 arrived at Tema, Ghana on 9 December 2010. On 21 January 2011, the ship was formally transferred to Ghana, renamed Stephen Otu and commissioned into the Ghana Navy at Sekondi Naval Base. The vessel's namesake is late Major General Stephen Otu, the first Ghanaian Chief of Defence Staff. In Ghanaian service, Stephen Otu mission includes maritime domain awareness, law enforcement, vessel inspection, naval development, search and rescue, and small boat maintenance. Various illicit activities the vessel is designed to prevent within Ghanaian territorial waters include piracy, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, drug trafficking, and oil bunkering.