Shipbuilder Fincantieri has launched the third Italian Navy multipurpose offshore patrol ship (PPA) Raimondo Montecuccoli at its Riva Trigoso shipyard.
The March 13 ceremony was attended by defense official and navy leaders, while the daughter of Admiral Stefano Pugliese, who commanded the former light cruiser Montecuccoli, served as the ship’s sponsor.
Future ITS Raimondo Montecuccoli is the third of seven ships in its class and is scheduled for delivery in 2023. Italy will receive all ships in the class by 2026.
While equal in dimensions and design, the seven ship will not be equal in capability. They will be delivered in three different configuration for missions ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to combat tasks.
The “light” configuration for patrolling tasks contains basic self-defense capabilities, the “light+” adds the anti-air capabilities while the “full” version is capable of handling three-dimensional threats (air, surface and underwater).
The light version has a complete set of artillery and is developed with the “fitted for” approach that makes it able to quickly deploy growing operational capabilities. The light+ version adds the missile firing capability with actuators planned also for ballistic missile defense. The full version will be able to operate in every naval warfare domain, such as AAW, ASW and ASuW.
The 133-meter ships will also capable of operating high-speed vessels such as RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) up to 11 meters long through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern. Powered by a combined diesel, a gas turbine plant (CODAG) and an electric propulsion system, PPAs will have a top speed of over 31 knots and a crew of 171.
The first ship in the class, ITS Paolo Thaon di Revel, started sea trials in November 2019 and is expected to be delivered to the navy by May this year. The second ship was launched in May 2020.
Fincantieri launched Raimondo Montecuccoli just a day after delivering logistic support ship LSS Vulcano to the Italian Navy from its Muggiano shipyard.
