Fincantieri has launched the first of four new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for the Italian Navy at its Riva Trigoso shipyard in Italy.
Named Ugolino Vivaldi, the vessel is part of a programme managed by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), under contract from the Naval Armaments Directorate.
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The launch follows the steel cutting ceremony for the OPV, which took place on 24 September 2024.
Measuring around 95 metres in length, Ugolino Vivaldi has a displacement of nearly 2,400 tonnes, with capacity for 93 crew members.
The vessel features an integrated naval cockpit, originally developed for the Multi-Purpose Combat Ships (PPA) in cooperation between Fincantieri NexTech and Leonardo. This enables two operators to control engines, rudders, platform systems, and elements of the combat system.
Senior officials attended the launch ceremony, including Italian Navy deputy chief of staff Fabio Gregori, Liguria Region chief of staff Massimiliano Nannini representing the president of Liguria Region, Sestri Levante Mayor Francesco Solinas, Orizzonte Sistemi Navali CEO Giovanni Sorrentino, Fincantieri naval vessels division operations director Attilio Dapelo and Integrated Riva Trigoso-Muggiano Shipyard director Antonio Quintano.
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By GlobalDataAlessandra Marsigli Cavriani acted as godmother of the launch.
She is granddaughter to Lieutenant Commander Alessandro Cavriani, who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valour after being lost at sea during the scuttling of the original Ugolino Vivaldi in September 1943.
In a post on X, Fincantieri described the launch as an “important milestone that further strengthens our position as a global leader in naval defence, confirming our role as a strategic partner of the Italian Navy and our commitment towards more secure seas.”
The OPV programme involves the construction of four ships, with an option for two additional units.
The total contract value for the initial four vessels and related logistical support is approximately €1.2bn ($1.4bn). Delivery of the first ship is scheduled for 2027.
The programme aims to enhance the Italian Navy’s capabilities in maritime surveillance, patrol operations, control of merchant traffic, protection of communication lines and exclusive economic zones, and response to marine pollution incidents such as toxic liquid spills.
