A consortium led by Italian company Fincantieri has signed a contract with OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for joint armament cooperation) for the construction of a second logistic support ship (LSS) for the Italian Navy.
As informed, the consortium Raggruppamento Temporaneo di Impresa (RTI) signed this agreement which also includes an option for the third unit.
The LSS will be entirely built at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2025. The value of the contract is approximately €410 million including the combat system.
Furthermore, the order also includes the provision of support over the lifecycle of the vessel in the first ten years, divided into logistics and in-service support (maintenance), as well as the supply of naval components and machinery produced by Fincantieri Mechanical Systems and Components Unit, including shaft lines, steering system, maneuvering thrusters, fin stabilizers, and other handling systems.
The first LSS Vulcano (A5335 ) was delivered by Fincantieri in March this year.
The LSS is a vessel that provides logistics support to the fleet, endowed with hospital and healthcare capabilities thanks to the presence of a fully equipped hospital of approximately 800 square meters.
The ship combines the ability to transport and transfer to other transport vessels liquid cargo and solid cargo as well as to perform at sea repairs and maintenance work for other vessels. The defense systems are limited to the capacity of command and control in tactical scenarios, communications, and non-lethal dissuasive defense systems.
What is more, the LSS is also capable of embarking on more complex defense systems and becoming a platform for intelligence and electronic warfare systems.
As part of the multi-year program aimed at safeguarding Italy’s Defence at-sea capacity, Fincantieri is currently building seven multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels (PPA) and the “Trieste” Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD).
In November this year, the company launched the bow section of the first LSS ordered by Chantiers de l’Atlantique under the French Navy FLOTLOG program.