TSAMTO, February 15. Fincantieri Company announced the technical launching of the multipurpose patrol ship of the coastal zone PPA - P434 "Giovanni delle Bande Nere" on February 12 at the enterprise in Riva Trigoso (Genoa).
"Giovanni delle Bande Nere" is the fourth of seven currently ordered patrol ships of the PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente D'altura). The cutting of the first steel for the construction of the ship took place on March 14, 2019. As planned, it will be delivered to the customer in 2024 in full combat configuration (Full Combat).
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. euro ($5.8 billion).
Contracts for the construction of one LSS support ship and 6 PPA patrol ships (with an option for four more) in May 2015 were signed on behalf of the Italian Navy by the European Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Armaments (OCCAR – Organization Conjointe de Cooperation en Matiere d'Armement) 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 PPA, P430 "Paolo Thaon di Revel" (Paolo Thaon di Revel), took place in June 2019. His transfer to the Italian Navy should take place in the near future. To date, three ships have been launched. Three more are under construction. 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 vessels 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 ships will be built in Full combat configuration (Full Combat). They will be equipped with Selex ES BIUS, two remotely controlled 25 mm artillery launchers, SAAM ESD PPA SAM (based on the Aster-15/30 missile defense system), MBDA Teseo missile defense 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.
