Fincantieri launches first-of-class corvette for Qatar
Fincantieri has launched of the first of four new multirole corvettes for the Qatari Emiri Navy (QEN).
The ‘technical launch’ of Al Zubarah took place on 27 February at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard, the Italian shipbuilder announced. The corvette will be handed over to the QEN in 2021.
Doha-class corvettes will each have a full load displacement of 3,250t, with dimensions of 107m (length), 14.7m (beam) and 4.2m (draft).
Powered by a combined diesel and diesel turbine plant, each vessel will have a maximum speed of 28kt, a range of 3,500nm at 15kt, and a complement of 112.
The multirole corvettes are designed for use as air-defence vessels, as well as for surveillance and sea rescue operations.
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.
The vessels were ordered as part of a broader EUR4 billion ($4.67 billion) naval package awarded by Qatar to Fincantieri in June 2016.
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