On March 18, 2022, the delivery of the Multipurpose Offshore Patrol ship (PPA – Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura) «Paolo Thaon di Revel» (P430), first of seven vessels, took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia).
First multiporpose offshore patrol ship «Paolo Thaon di Revel» (P430) delivered
The PPAs are built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with deliveries expected until 2026, and they are part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian Navy vessels, approved by the Government and Parliament and started in May 2015 («Naval Act») under the aegis of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for cooperation on arms).
The multipurpose offshore patrol vessel is a highly flexible ship with the capacity to serve multiple functions, ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to Civil Protection operations and, in its most highly equipped version, first line fighting vessel. For the seven vessels of the program there will be indeed different configurations of combat system: starting from a «soft» version for the patrol task, integrated for self-defence ability, to a «full» one, which means equipped for a complete defence ability. The patrol ship 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.
143 meters/469 feet long overall
Speed up to 32 knots/37 mph/59 km/h according to vessel configuration and operational conditions
Approximately 135 crew members and accommodation capacity up to 181 beds
Combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion system, with electric motors for low speeds
PPA1 (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura), named after «Paolo Thaon di Revel» (P430), sailed its first nautical miles in the blue waters of the Gulf of La Spezia on 12th November 2019. The First Sea Going (FSG) is a crucial contractual milestone towards the delivery of the ship to the Italian Navy (FOAR), scheduled for May 2021.
PPA1 sailing in front of Alpi Apuane, famous for the marble (Italian Navy)
«Paolo Thaon di Revel» (P430) is the First of Class (FOC) PPA in Light configuration. During the FSG, several platform systems/equipment installed on-board have been set up and successfully tested.
The PPA contract was signed on May 2015; only 4 years and a half have elapsed before the FOC FSG, a worldwide remarkable achievement for OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement) as contracting authority, given the innovative character of this vessel. PPA1 is expected to complete the sea trials in March 2021 and to be delivered to the Italian Navy in May 2021.
The first four ships (seven under current contract) are currently in the production stage. The second one, also in Light configuration, will be named after the Venetian Doge «Francesco Morosini», and will be launched in March 2020.
PPA1 sailing in its FSG (Italian Navy)
PPA – Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura
The PPA Programme is an innovative Multipurpose Patrol Ship Programme for Italy. PPA characteristics meet the Italian concept of «Multi-Purpose by Design», a model, shared with the NATO Community, that will allow these ships to be able to cope with dynamic and complex scenarios, as well as to carry out many profiles of operations.
These units, fully interoperable with NATO and EU partners, will be more versatile than the present generation of ships, benefiting from an extensive use of the modularity concept. They are conceived, since the beginning of the design phase, with enhanced “dual use” features, fit for all military tasks and able to intervene also during peace time, supporting Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance Operations.
The PPA will have a smaller environmental footprint, by further reducing the polluting emissions, also by adopting new generation bio fuel and electric propulsion. Some characteristics deserve a special mention: high flexibility and level of innovation, very high speed, long endurance, resilience and seaworthiness, manoeuvrability, modularity, high level of integration and automation, in other words better suited to face the challenges of the 21st century. PPAs will be able to be rapidly deployed at long distances in a broad spectrum of emergency situations, becoming the backbone of the Italian Navy.
The PPA Programme includes Development and Production of 10 ships (seven plus an option for another three) and the In Service Support for ten years. Based on a common platform, PPAs will be delivered in three configurations with incremental capabilities:
LIGHT (2 ships): this version has a complete set of artillery;
LIGHT PLUS (3 ships): version similar to ‘LIGHT’ but adds a missile firing capability with actuators planned also for ballistic missile defence;
FULL (2 ships): able to carry out tasks in all warfare areas such as Anti-Air (AAW), Anti-Surface (ASuW) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW).
LIGHT and LIGHT PLUS have been developed with the «fitted for» approach: every system on the FULL can quickly be deployed also on LIGHT and LIGHT PLUS, facilitating operational flexibility and growing capabilities during the Ships life.
The delivery of the First of Class, in Light configuration, is planned in 2021 and 2024 for the first in Full configuration (FOC F).
The PPA Programme was integrated into OCCAR in 2015.
PPA Technical Information
Overall Length
133 m/436 feet
Width
16,5 m/54 feet
Displacement
~ 6,000 tonnes
Maximum Speed
32 knots/37 mph/59 km/h
Autonomy
5,000 NM/5,754 miles/9,260 km at 15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h
The launching ceremony of the Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) «Paolo Thaon di Revel» (P430) took place on June 15, 2019, at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia), in the presence of the Italian Minister of Defence Elisabetta Trenta.
The Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) «Paolo Thaon di Revel» (P430) launched in Muggiano
Godmother of the ceremony was Mrs. Irene Imperiali, nephew of the Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel.
The ceremony was attended among others by the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral Valter Girardelli, by Fincantieri’s Chairman Giampiero Massolo and CEO Giuseppe Bono.
The PPA, first of seven units, will be delivered in 2021 and it is part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian Navy vessels, approved by the Government and Parliament and started in May 2015 («Naval Act»).
The multipurpose offshore patrol vessel is a highly flexible ship with the capacity to serve multiple functions, ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to Civil Protection operations and, in its most highly equipped version, first line fighting vessel. There will be indeed different configurations of combat system: starting from a «soft» 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.
5 meters/434.7 feet long
Speed more than 31 knots/35.7 mph/57.4 km/h according to vessel configuration and operational conditions
171 persons of the crew
Equipped with a combined diesel, a gas turbine plant (CODAG) and an electric propulsion system
Capacity to supply drinking water to land
Capacity to provide electricity to land with 2,000 kw/2,682 hp of power
2 modular zones at the stern and at the center of the ship that allow the embarking of various types of containerized operating/logistic/residential/healthcare modules (in particular, the stern area may receive and handle within a covered area up to 5 modules in ISO 20” containers, while the central zone may receive and handle up to 8 ISO 20” containers)
The PPAs will be built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with delivery expected, for the first vessel of the class, in 2021, while the following deliveries will take place in 2022, 2023, 2024 (two units), 2025 and 2026.
