On March 22, 2023, Valletta hosted the official ceremony of the entry into the fleet of the Armed Forces of Malta (Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta) of the new patrol ship P 71, built at the shipyard of the Italian shipbuilding company Cantiere Navale Vittoria SpA in Adria near Venice. The new ship became the largest unit of the Maltese fleet. It also became the largest ship built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria.
The ceremony of the entry into the fleet of the armed forces of Malta of the new patrol ship P 71, built by the Italian shipbuilding company Cantiere Navale Vittoria SpA. Valletta, 22.03.2023 (c) Armed Forces of MaltaOn January 16, 2019, the Armed Forces of Malta signed a contract with the Italian company Cantiere Navale Vittoria SpA (Adria) for the construction of the patrol ship P 71.
The Italian shipyard and its OPV748 project were selected by Malta in October 2018 following a tender. The contract value was initially 34.7 million euros, and 53.5% of this amount was allocated from the funds of the European Union as part of measures to strengthen the protection of the southern borders of the EU from illegal immigration from Africa and the Middle East.
Although under the terms of the contract, the ship was supposed to be delivered to Malta by the end of 2020, however, as a result, the construction was significantly delayed and was accompanied by significant cost overruns. The contract value of the ship was increased to 48.6 million euros during the construction process, and overall total costs eventually amounted to about 53 million euros. Only on February 27, 2021, the ship P 71 was launched in Adria. Factory sea trials of the ship were started in March 2022, and as a result, tests and improvements stretched for a year. On November 7, 2022, the P 71 arrived in Malta, but only now officially commissioned.
The patrol ship R 71 has a total displacement of 2,244 tons, a length of 74.8 m, a width of 13 m, a draft of 3.4 m. A two-shaft diesel-electric main power plant with a total capacity of two Wartsila main diesel engines of 7300 hp each provides a full-stroke speed of "more than 20 knots", on two economic-stroke electric motors the speed is up to 12 knots. The crew is 40 people with the possibility of accommodating another 20. Autonomy of 15 days. The ship is armed with a 25 mm remote-controlled Leonardo automatic artillery system and several 7.62mm and 12.7 mm machine guns. The runway provides the basing of the AW139 type helicopter with the possibility of placing a telescopic hangar. The ship is equipped with two 9.1-meter semi-passenger high-speed motor boats, one of which is located on the aft slip under the helipad. The bridge of the ship is armored.
In addition to the new ship P 71, now the maritime component of the armed forces of Malta includes a patrol ship P 62 (former Irish Aoife type Emer built in 1979, transferred to Malta in 2015, full displacement 1100 tons, length 65.2 meters), a small patrol ship P 61 (Italian built type Diciotti 2005, 420 tons, length 53.4 meters), six patrol boats, six small boats and two rescue boats. Previously, it was planned that the new ship P 71 will replace the patrol ship P 62.The ceremony of joining the fleet of the Armed forces of Malta of the new patrol ship P 71, built by the Italian shipbuilding company Cantiere Navale Vittoria SpA.
Valletta, 22.03.2023 (c) Armed Forces of Malta
