The delivery of the fourth Multipurpose Combat ship (PPA) “Giovanni delle Bande Nere” took place last week at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia; Italy).
The ceremony was attended, among others, by Vice Admiral Andrea Gueglio, Director of Italian Navy Military Personnel Directorate, by Admiral Chief Inspector Giuseppe Abbamonte, Director of the Naval Armaments Directorate - NAVARM, and Mr. Joachim Sucker, OCCAR Director, welcomed by Attilio Dapelo, Senior Vice President Operations Naval Vessels Division, and Antonio Quintano, Director of the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso-Muggiano.
This vessel, the first of the class in “full” configuration, is part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian Navy vessels, approved by the Government and Parliament under the aegis of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for cooperation on arms).
The PPA is a highly flexible ship with the capacity to serve multiple functions, ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to Civil Protection operations and first line fighting vessel. There are different configurations of combat system: starting from a “light” version for the patrol task, integrated for self-defence ability, to a “full” one, equipped for a complete defence ability. The vessel is also capable of operating high-speed vessels such as RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) up to 11 meters long through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern.
The PPA’s characteristics include:
- 143 meters long overall
- Speed more than 31 knots
- 171 persons of the crew
- Equipped with a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion plant (CODAG) and an electric propulsion system
- Capacity to supply drinking water and electrical power to land
The PPA ships are built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano with deliveries expected until 2026.
Giovanni delle Bande Nere - Ludovico di Giovanni de' Medici, also known as Giovanni delle Bande Nere (born April 6, 1498, Forli - died November 30, 1526 Mantua), was an Italian Renaissance “Condottiero” (Captain of Mercenary Forces). He belonged to a cadet branch of the Medici.
Fincantieri is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, the only one active in all high-tech marine industry sectors. It is leader in the construction and transformation of cruise, naval and oil & gas and wind offshore vessels, as well as in the production of systems and component equipment, after-sales services and marine interiors solutions. Thanks to the expertise developed in the management of complex projects, the Group boasts first-class references in infrastructures and is a reference player in digital technologies and cybersecurity, electronics and advanced systems.
With over 230 years of history and more than 7,000 ships built, Fincantieri maintains its know-how, expertise and management centers in Italy, where it employs 10,000 workers and creates around 90,000 jobs, doubling the employment figure worldwide thanks to a production network of 18 shipyards operating on three continents employing over 21,000 direct workers.
