Italian Coast Guard vessel keel laid
Fincantieri and Cantiere Navale Vittoria have laid the keel of a new multi-purpose offshore unit destined for the Italian Coast Guard.
The 85 metre vessel will fulfil various missions including sea rescue, navigation safety, protection of the marine environment and fishing as well as providing a command headquarters for responses to disasters and incidents.
It will be built entirely at the Veneto shipyard, with delivery scheduled for the end of April 2025.
Admiral Chief Inspector Nicola Carlone said the new vessel would help the Coast Guard adapt to increasingly complex operations. “This investment will allow the Corps to fulfil, in an even more efficient way, the missions entrusted to the Coast Guard,” he said.
The €80 million vessel will enable the Coast Guard to perform longer-range offshore operations of up to 20 days. Its contract is for five years and there is an option for a further two ships.
With a focus on sustainability, the ship features an azimuth propulsion system powered by an electric power plant and two DP bow thrusters. It has a large working deck with offshore cranes and a loading ramp for wheeled vehicles, together with a helicopter flight deck, dedicated rescue zones with rigid hull inflatable boats and a hospital area.
“The unit inherits the successful experience of constructing the Dattilo and Diciotti patrol boats, again for the Coast Guard,” added Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive of Fincantieri.
