Fincantieri Launches First Next-Generation OPV ‘Ugolino Vivaldi’ For Italian Navy

Fincantieri has launched the first next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), Ugolino Vivaldi, for the Italian Navy at its Riva Trigoso shipyard in Liguria, Italy.

The vessel is the first of four units being built under a €1.2 billion naval program managed by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali.

The OPVs are being constructed under a contract awarded by the Naval Armaments Directorate, part of Italy’s National Armaments Directorate.

Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), is managing the program.

The overall value of the initial four vessels and related logistical support is approximately €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion).

The program also includes an option for two additional ships.

The steel cutting ceremony for Ugolino Vivaldi took place on 24 September 2024. Delivery of the first vessel is scheduled for 2027.

The new OPV measures approximately 95 metres in length and has a displacement of about 2,400 tonnes. It is designed to accommodate 93 crew members.

A key feature of the vessel is its integrated naval cockpit, originally developed for the Italian Navy’s Multi-Purpose Combat Ships (PPA).

The system was developed through cooperation between Fincantieri NexTech and Leonardo.

The integrated cockpit allows two operators, a pilot and co-pilot, to control engines, rudders, platform systems, and certain combat system functions.

This level of automation is intended to improve operational efficiency and maneuverability in various tactical scenarios and weather conditions.

The OPV program is designed to ensure adequate capabilities for:

• Maritime presence and surveillance
• Maritime patrol operations
• Merchant traffic control
• Protection of sea lines of communication
• Safeguarding Italy’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
• Countering marine pollution, including toxic liquid spills

The vessels are intended to operate in a wide range of missions, combining patrol duties with environmental response capabilities.

The launch ceremony was attended by senior naval, regional, and industry officials.

Among those present were:

• Vice Admiral Fabio Gregori, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy
• Massimiliano Nannini, Chief of Staff of the Liguria Region, representing the President of the Liguria Region
• Francesco Solinas, Mayor of Sestri Levante
• Giovanni Sorrentino, CEO of Orizzonte Sistemi Navali
• Attilio Dapelo, Operations Director of Fincantieri’s Naval Vessels Division
• Antonio Quintano, Director of the Integrated Riva Trigoso-Muggiano Shipyard

Alessandra Marsigli Cavriani served as godmother of the launch. She is the granddaughter of Lieutenant Commander Alessandro Cavriani, who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor after being lost at sea during the scuttling of the original Ugolino Vivaldi in September 1943.

Reference: fincantieri

Source: Maritime Shipping News