First Italian PPA vessel launched from shipyard

The Italian navy’s first Pattugliatori Polivalenti d'Altura (PPA)-class multipurpose offshore patrol ship - the Paolo Thaon di Revel - has been launched from Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano. 

This was attended by Italian defence minister Elisabetta Trenta, as well as chief of staff of the Italian navy, Adm Valter Girardelli, Fincantieri’s chairman Giampiero Massolm, and CEO Giuseppe Bono.

The PPA is the first of seven units on order, and will be delivered in 2021.

It is part of a renewal plan for Italian naval vessels, approved by the government and parliament under its naval act introduced in May 2015.

The multipurpose offshore patrol vessel can serve multiple functions, ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to civil protection operations, while in its most highly-equipped version, can serve as a front-line fighting vessel. 

The configuration of the combat system will vary, starting from a ‘soft’ version for patrol tasks equipped for self-defence, ranging up to a ‘full’ one equipped for a complete defensive ability. 

The PPAs are being built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with subsequent deliveries following the first one in 2021 scheduled for 2022, 2023, 2024 (two units), 2025 and 2026. 

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Thaon di Revel Class (PPA)