Fincantieri launches sixth Multipurpose Offshore Patrol ship for Italian Navy
Ruggiero di Lauria was launched on 6 October Photo: Fincantieri)
Fincantieri successfully launched the sixth Multipurpose Offshore Patrol ship (Pattugliatori Polivalenti d’Altura - PPA) Ruggiero di Lauria on 6 October, part of a class which will substantially enhance the operational capabilities of the Italian Navy.
The Paolo Thaon di Revel-class ships are part of a plan to renew the Italian Navy fleet, approved by the Government and Parliament in 2015 under the Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organisation for cooperation on arms. It is planned to be commissioned in 2025.
The initial contract was placed in 2015 for six vessels with an option for an additional four vessels. One option has been exercised, taking the total programme value to €3.9 billion ($4.33 billion) for seven ships.
The PPAs are being built to replace the four Soldati-class frigates and eight Minerva-class corvettes between 2022 and 2035. The first ship-in-class was delivered in 2022, with the following deliveries taking place in 2022 (one more unit), 2023, 2024 (two units), 2025 and 2026, respectively.
Related Articles
Fincantieri and CABI team up on enhanced integration for underwater vehicles
Italian Navy overcomes delays in PPA ship deliveries
Italian Navy receives final NH90 helicopter
Third of the class, Raimondo Montecuccoli, was laid down in 2018 and was delivered in September.
The ships are designed to be versatile and capable of operating high-speed vessels such as Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats up to 11m-long through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located in the stern.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
