The March successes of Fincantieri

12-13 March The Italian company Fincantieri has reached further important stages in the programme to build new vessels for its own fleet.

The first important event in March was the transfer of logistics support to the LSS by the shipyard Muggiano of La Spezia Vulcano (A5335). Second launching the day later (13 March) at Riva Trigoso shipyard in Genoa patrol frigate Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432) third vessel of type PPA/Thaon di Revel.

Both units are elements of the grand expansion plan of Marina Militare which includes the construction of, among others,: helicopter landing type Trieste, twin LSS, 4 new OOP type 212NFS, 12 min destroyers, 8 corvette type EPC, hydrographic and rescue ships. This plan is also intended to result in the construction of two anti-aircraft destroyers, three large landing ships, a mine and an OOP base, and a reconnaissance vessel. Most of these plans will be implemented by Fincantieri (probably except for mine destroyers and some auxiliary units).

New types of Italian ships use the latest technologies, both in terms of their construction and the components used. For example, Vulcano meets not only the existing MARPOL environmental regulations, but also the not yet introduced rules provided for by the Hong Kong Convention on the recycling of vessels. Their innovation in these areas, strongly emphasised by Fincantieri, is probably one of the reasons for the export success of the Italian shipbuilding industry.

After all, the Italians are the main partners in the frigate construction program for the US Navy, based on their frigate variant FREMM (with which PPA have a lot in common). Fincantieri has also obtained orders from France for 4 logistics ships, which are a variant of the just handed over Vulcano. The Italians will be suppliers of their design and forward parts of the units. Their contractor is a consortium associated with the Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique. On the Italian side, Castellammare di Stabia shipyard from Naples will be involved in the work. The project is managed by OCCAR, known for its many common European arms programmes.

Launching Raimondo Montecuccoli is essential for the manufacturer that this unit is the first made version Light+, equipped with vertical launchers Sylver A70. The new vessel will have two blocks of 8 launch chambers adapted to the use of anti-aircraft missiles. Aster 15, Aster 30anti-missile Aster 30B1NT and maneuverers NCM. This option PPA will be represented in a series of 10 planned ships in 4 units. Others Full and Light They'll count three ships each.

Timely launching of another PPA is important that by the end of May this year the Italian Government may use the contractual option for the additional 3 ships included in the original order concerning the first 7 PPA.

What's interesting is all PPA, regardless of the variant of the equipment, will bear the P430-P439 markings typical of patrol units. So far in the Italian fleet, they were carried by 190-1600 tons of units, so their use for PPAs with up to 6270 tonnes in the version Full, seems to be a far-flagged "camouflage" of the actual role of such ships.

Signature: Tomasz Witkiewicz

• Fincantieri signed a contract for a second vessel of logistical support for the Italian Navy
• Fincantieri with contract to build the fifth and sixth frigates of the Constellation type
• Last frigate of FREMM Emilio Bianchi launched