Northern Tyrrhenian Sea Department News

Fincantieri Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard in Italy has delivered the patrol boat 'Salahah' to the United Arab Emirates' Navy. The new ship's sister the Ghantut was delivered last January together with an "Abu Dhabi Class" corvette. The two patrol vessels – whose names come from an area of the Emirates near Abu Dhabi – were ordered in 2010 within the  “Falaj 2” program. The contract  provides for an option for a further two vessels in addition to technology transfer to a local shipyard for the construction of further sister ships.

The Italian Navy training ship Amerigo Vespucci, which has been designated a UNICEF ‘ambassador’ vessel, has become one of the first MARPOL-compliant naval ships after receiving MARPOL certification from classification society RINA. And the rest of the Italian naval fleet, numbering roughly 70 vessels, is set to follow suit, even though there is no legal or regulatory requirement for it to do so. A ceremony to mark the Amerigo Vespucci compliance took place in Livorno Harbor on July 6, when RINA CEO Ugo Salerno made a presentation on board the vessel to its commanding officer. Also in attendance was Vice-Admiral Franco Paoli, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea Department.