Fincantieri to upgrade Malta’s P61 OPV
Fincantieri will upgrade the P61 offshore patrol vessel (OPV) of the Malta armed forces under a contract announced on 13 January.
The work will upgrade a number of shipboard systems in order to improve the vessel’s reaction capability and extend its service life. The vessel was built and delivered to the Malta armed forces by the Fincantieri shipyard of Muggiano in 2005.
The upgrading activities, which are estimated at €7 million, are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017 and will last about six months.
The 53 meter long OPV is a modified variant of the Diciotti class patrol boat, built by Fincantieri for the Italian Coast Guard.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.