Fincantieri hits two landmarks in build of Al Zubarah corvettes for Qatar

16th February 2021 - 12:27 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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The vessels were ordered as part of a broader EUR4 billion ($4.67 billion) naval package awarded by Qatar to Fincantieri in June 2016.

Fincantieri launched the second of four Al Zubarah-class corvettes at its Muggiano shipyard on 13 February, part of a wider multi-ship order by Doha to boost the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces.

The launch of Damsah was also joined by the keel laying ceremony for the fourth-in-class Sumaysimah, with deliveries expected in 2022 and 2023, according to a Fincantieri release.

The corvettes have been designed to perform a range of security tasks, from maritime patrol to area air defence. The class will have a hull length of 107m and feature a combined diesel and diesel propulsion configuration, producing a maximum speed of 28kt.

Armament includes 16 ASTER-30 Block 1 surface-to-air missiles; eight MM40 Exocet Block 3 anti-ship missiles; a 76mm main gun and two Marlin remote weapon stations; a 21-missile RAM launcher; and four Sylena Mk2 decoy launchers.

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