Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri launched the second of two offshore patrol vessels it is building for the Qatar Emiri Navy on Saturday, June 5.
The 63-meter OPV is named Sheraouh and will be a flexible platform capable of performing duties ranging from surveillance to combat functions. Both OPVs are scheduled for delivery next year.
The ceremony also saw the shipbuilder mark the official start of construction of a landing platform dock (LPD) ship for Qatar with a steel-cutting event.
Both the OPV and the LPD are being built under a 4 billion euro contract signed in 2016. The deal also includes the construction and delivery of four Doha-class corvettes, the second of which was launched earlier this year.
During the June 5 ceremony, Fincantieri also revealed the opening of the Halul 1 training center that will be hosting on the job training for the crews of all the vessels of the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces.
