Fincantieri launches 3rd Italian Navy PPA ship

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has launched Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432), the third of seven new Italian Navy Thaon di Revel-class (PPA) multipurpose offshore patrol ships.

The ceremony, held in a restricted format and in full compliance with COVID-19 requirements, took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Riva Trigoso, Genoa, on 13 March 2021.

Scheduled for delivery in 2023, the newbuild is part of the navy’s fleet renewal plan. The plan, approved by the country’s government and parliament, was launched in May 2015 under the aegis of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement), the international organization for cooperation on arms.

Back in November 2018, Fincantieri held a keel laying ceremony for the third PPA unit at the aforementioned shipyard.

The multipurpose offshore patrol vessel is a highly flexible ship with the capacity to serve multiple functions, ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to civil protection operations and, in its most highly equipped version, first line fighting vessel. There will be different configurations of combat system — starting from a “soft” version for the patrol task, integrated for self-defence ability, to a “full” one, equipped for a complete defence ability.

The vessel is also capable of operating high-speed vessels such as rigid hull inflatable boat up to 11 meters long through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern.

Featuring a length of 133 meters, the PPA-class ships can accommodate 171 crew members and have a speed of more than 31 knots. They are equipped with a combined diesel, a gas turbine plant (CODAG) and an electric propulsion system and have the capacity to supply drinking water to land.

The multipurpose offshore patrol ships are being built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with deliveries expected until 2026. The first unit from the batch is slated for delivery in autumn this year, and the second in Q1 2022.