Location of the keel under another frigate PPA for Marina Militarye

On 29 May at Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso, a keel ceremony was held under the eighth PPA unit for Marina Militare. The ship is to be completed in the Full variant and power the Italian fleet as a multitasking frigate with a full set of weapons and equipment.

New frigate PPA under construction

In the shipbuilding reality, this is one of the most important moments of construction – confirms the completion of the preparation of the first structural elements and the transition to hull assembly. Work on the unit began on February 4, that year, when the first sheet of sheet metal was cut to build the ship.

The ship is formed for Marina Militarye as a complement to the program after the sale of Indonesia two units built originally for the Italian Navy. It's about Marcantonio Colonna and Ruggiero di Lauriawhich fell under the Indonesian flag as Brawiaya and Prabu Siliwangi.

Contract for about €700 million

An agreement to build two new ships was signed on 26 June 2025. Its value is around EUR 700 million. The contract is implemented through OCCAR, acting on behalf of the Italian Directorate of Naval Armed Forces. Delivery is scheduled for 2029–2030.

Both units will be built in the Riva Trigoso-Muggiano shipyard complex. It's the same industrial center where frigates are built. PPA program.

From patrol ship to multitasking frigate

The PPA program was unusual from the beginning. The Italian name itself means a sea-going patrol vessel, but in practice the project includes units with much more potential than classic ocean patrol boats. Depending on configuration, PPA ships can carry out tasks from sea surveillance to activities typical of frigates.

The Italian program provided for three variants: Light, Light Plus and Full. The first had limited weapons and equipment, the second could be described as a patrol frigate, while the Full variant already corresponds to a multitasking frigate. It is in this most extensive configuration that new units ordered after the sale of two are to be completed ships of Indonesia.

Upgrade the entire series to Full variant

On April 21, 2026, OCCAR signed an annex to the PPA programme with the consortium of Fincantieri and Leonardo. The document envisages bringing ships from Light and Light Plus configuration to the Full Combat System standard.

This means harmonising the Italian PPA series around the most extensive variant. The modernisation is intended to cover not only the combat system, but also the strengthening of cyber defence capabilities and the use of unmanned systems: air, water and underwater.

Marina Militare organizes the PPA program

The decision to bring the entire series to the common standard shows that Marina Militare does not want to ultimately maintain several clearly different configurations. From the user's point of view, this means simpler training, easier logistics and greater coherence of escort forces.

For the Italian ship industry, the PPA programme remains one of the most important projects in the construction of large vessels. Fincantieri maintains the continuity of production and Leonardo remains a major partner in on-board systems and combat systems. The sale of two units of Indonesia did not stop the program, but forced it to supplement it with new ships for Marina Militare.