TSAMTO, April 8. By information Navalnews.com, Fincantieri's facility in Mujiano, La Spezia, has begun sea trials of the OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel), (Q-61) "Musherib" (Musherib), ordered by the Qatari Ministry of Defense as part of the national Navy modernization program.
As planned, the ship will be handed over to the Qatari Navy in 2022. At the same time, it is noted that the company seeks to minimize the negative impact on the delivery time of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As reported by TSAMTO, on June 16, 2016, within the framework of bilateral intergovernmental agreements between Italy and Qatar, Fincantieri and MBDA signed contracts with the command of the Qatari Navy for the supply of combat surface ships and weapons systems for them in the amount of about 5 billion rubles. euro. Fincantieri's share in the contract is about 4 billion. euro.
Under the terms of the contract, Fincantieri is to build 7 new-generation surface ships, including four corvettes, one LPD-Landing Platform Dock, two OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) coastal patrol ships, and provide related services. All ships must be built at the Italian shipyard Fincantieri within 6 years, starting in 2018. The agreement also includes servicing all ships in Qatar for 10 years after delivery.
Steel cutting for the construction of the patrol ship Musherib began at the Fincantieri company's Mugiano facility in February 2019, and the launch took place on September 18, 2020.
The OPV patrol ship is designed to perform various tasks, from reconnaissance to participation in combat operations. The length of the ship will be 63.8 m, width – 9.2 m, displacement – 725 tons. The ship will be equipped with a main power plant based on four diesel engines and will be able to reach a maximum speed of 30 knots, the crew-38 people. The cruising range will be 1,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots, and the autonomy will be 7 days. An inflatable boat with a rigid hull RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) can be placed on board.
