The Italian Navy has notified Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture of Fincantieri and Leonardo, that it is exercising its option for a fourth offshore patrol vessel under a shipbuilding contract initiated in July 2023.
The additional order under the military branch’s next-generation OPV program is worth about $258 million, including related logistical support. The first three vessels’ overall value was announced at $1 billion earlier.
The OPVs, to be built at Fincantieri’s Riva Trigoso and Muggiano Integrated Shipyard as part of the Italian Navy’s fleet modernization, will be deployed for surveillance, merchant traffic control and maritime patrols.
Each vessel is 95 meters long, has a 2,300-ton displacement, and can accommodate a 97-person crew. The design includes several technological innovations, including an integrated naval cockpit where a two-man crew can conduct ship and airborne operations.
The deal follows the $1.6 billion contract OSN secured in late July to build two Italian Navy warships through FREMM, a European multipurpose frigate program.