TSAMTO, September 24. The European Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Armaments (OCCAR) announced the sea trials of the third multi-purpose patrol ship of the coastal zone PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente D'ALTURA) P432 "Raimondo Montecuccoli", which took place in September.
During the tests, the ship's running qualities and the functioning of navigation systems were checked. The Raimondo Montecuccoli is the third of seven PPA patrol ships currently ordered and the first in the Light Plus configuration. The ship was laid down on November 8, 2018 at the Fincantieri Muggiano enterprise and launched on March 13, 2021. As planned, it will be delivered to the Italian Navy in 2023.
As reported by TSAMTO, the construction of PPA ships is carried out by Fincantieri within the framework of the Italian Navy restoration program implemented since the beginning of 2015, the total cost of which is estimated at 5.4 billion rubles. euro ($5.8 billion).
Contracts for the construction of one LSS support ship and 6 PPA patrol ships (with an option for four more) were signed in May 2015 on behalf of the Italian Navy by the European OCCAR with the RTI consortium (Raggruppamento Temporaneo di Impresa) formed by Fincantieri and the Selex ES division of Finmeccanica. In November 2015, OCCAR signed a contract with RTI for the supply of the seventh PPA ship, having implemented the first option to the basic agreement.
The launch of the lead ship of the PPA, P430 "Paolo Thaon di Revel" (Paolo Thaon di Revel), took place in June 2019. Its delivery to the Italian Navy is scheduled for 2021. At the moment, three ships have been launched. It is assumed that one PPA ship will be transferred to the Italian Navy annually in the period 2022-2026, with the exception of 2024, when two ships will be delivered.
As planned, 7 PPA ships will be made in three different configurations, the displacement of which will vary from 5830 to 6270 tons. Two units will be built in Full Combat configuration (Full Combat). They will be equipped with Selex ES BIUS, two remotely controlled 25-mm artillery installations, SAAM ESD PPA SAM (based on the Aster-15/30 missile system), MBDA Teseo missile system, cruise missiles, light and heavy WASS torpedoes.
Three ships will be made in the "Light Plus" configuration, armed only with an artillery installation and an air defense system.
Two ships in the "Light" configuration will be armed only with artillery systems.
