$1B Contract for Trio of Next-Gen Italian Navy Patrol Boats
As part of the OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) acquisition program of the Italian Navy (MM), Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), the joint venture owned by Fincantieri and Leonardo with stakes of 51% and 49% respectively, signed with the Directorate of Naval Armaments of the General Secretariat of Defence/DNA, the contract for the construction of three new generation patrol boats, with an option for three more.
The value of the contract for the first three boats is $1B, including the related logistic support services.
When completed the 2,300-ton vessels will measure 95m long and accommodate 97 crew. Among the most innovative features is the naval cockpit, developed for the Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Boats (PPA) of the MM on the basis of a revolutionary requirement: an integrated station, co-produced by Leonardo and Fincantieri NexTech, which allows the conduct of the ship and aeronautical operations by only two operators, the pilot and the co-pilot, who have incorporated the figures of the officer of the watch on the bridge and the commander.
From this position, located on the command bridge, it is in fact possible to manage both the machines, the rudders and the platform systems and some functions of the combat system.