The Italian Navy has placed a contract with Fincantieri to build two more PPA multipurpose combat vessels. The new vessels will replace those earmarked for transfer to Indonesia.
The contract for the new vessels, managed by the Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement, was placed with a consortium comprising Fincantieri as lead contractor and Leonardo as its principal partner. The value of the contract for Fincantieri is approximately €700 million, including work already carried out on the units now destined for Indonesia.
The new PPA multipurpose combat ships will be delivered in the ‘Light Plus’ configuration by Fincantieri’s shipyards in Riva Trigoso and Muggiano. Deliveries are scheduled for 2029 and 2030, respectively. Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero says: “The new units will bolster the national supply chain, ensuring production continuity and employment stability, while also strengthening Italy’s role as a central player in the global defence landscape, where shipbuilding is increasingly a key element of influence and international cooperation.”
The new vessels will be capable of undertaking multiple missions, including patrol, search and rescue and civil protection operations, and are considered first-line fighting vessels. The PPAs are designed to be ‘fitted for but not with’ so that additional capabilities can be integrated over time using a shared platform. They will have a length overall of 143m, speed in excess of 31 knots and a crew of 171, plus a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion plant and an electric propulsion system.
