Fincantieri to upgrade Malta’s P61 OPV
Fincantieri will upgrade the P61 offshore patrol vessel (OPV) of the Malta armed forces under a contract announced on 13 January.
The work will upgrade a number of shipboard systems in order to improve the vessel’s reaction capability and extend its service life. The vessel was built and delivered to the Malta armed forces by the Fincantieri shipyard of Muggiano in 2005.
The upgrading activities, which are estimated at €7 million, are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017 and will last about six months.
The 53 meter long OPV is a modified variant of the Diciotti class patrol boat, built by Fincantieri for the Italian Coast Guard.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
-
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.