Fincantieri floats out Italian Navy’s new PPA, 1st with full defense configuration

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has launched the Italian Navy’s fourth multipurpose offshore patrol ship (PPA – Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura) Giovanni delle Bande Nere.

As informed, the launching ceremony took place at the company’s Riva Trigoso yard on 12 February. The vessel, slated for delivery in 2024, is the first in “full” version, which means equipped for a complete defense ability.

Furthermore, the PPA is supplied with generator sets by Isotta Fraschini Motori, a Fincantieri subsidiary specialized in the production of diesel engines.

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 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.

Italian Navy has ordered a total of seven ships in the class. The third PPA, Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432), was launched in March 2021.