Fincantieri has cut steel for the Qatar Navy’s first Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) at its Muggiano shipyard in La Spezia, Italy, the company announced on 27 February 2019.
The Qatari Ministry of Defence has awarded a €4 billion contract to Fincantieri under the country’s national naval acquisition programme.
The contract covers the supply of seven surface vessels, including four corvettes, one amphibious vessel landing platform dock and two OPVs, as well as support services in Qatar for further ten years following the delivery of the vessels.
The first patrol vessel will be about 63m long and 9.2m wide and will have a maximum speed of 30kt. Its propulsion system will have four variable pitch propellers, two to starboard and two to the left, each in line with a diesel propulsion engine. The vessel will be able to accommodate 38 crew members.
The OPV will be a flexible type of ship capable of performing different kinds of tasks, from surveillance to being a fighting vessel. It will be also be capable of operating a rigid hull inflatable boat through a crane located at the stern.
At DSEI 2025, Red Cat outlines its expansion from UAVs into uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), positioning itself as a multi-domain defence provider spanning land, sea, and air.
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.
Acquired under Canada’s Department of National Defence ISTAR UAS project, the drones will be deployed from the Halifax-class frigates.
The US Navy published a pre-solicitation notice of intent for the third phase of the F-35 Reprogramming Verification & Validation System. Meanwhile, with a five-year delay in its schedule, GAO foresees more postponements in the completion of the Block 4 effort.
Cutters Earl Cunningham and Storis have been monitoring five Beijing research vessels navigating in the North Pole.
The multi-award contract will support the scheduled repair and maintenance of nuclear-powered attack submarines at the US Navy’s primary public shipyards.
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