The launch ceremony of the next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) “Ugolino Vivaldi” was held today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Riva Trigoso. This is the first of four units that Fincantieri is building for the Italian Navy. The vessels are part of a program assigned to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), by the Naval Armaments Directorate, part of the National Armaments Directorate.
Fincantieri press release
Attending the event were the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Vice Admiral Fabio Gregori; the Chief of Staff of the Liguria Region, Massimiliano Nannini, representing the President of the Liguria Region; the Mayor of Sestri Levante, Francesco Solinas; and the CEO of Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, Giovanni Sorrentino. For Fincantieri, the Operations Director of the Naval Vessels Division, Attilio Dapelo, and the Director of the Integrated Riva Trigoso-Muggiano Shipyard, Antonio Quintano, were in attendance. Godmother of the launch was Alessandra Marsigli Cavriani, granddaughter of the posthumous Gold Medal of Military Valor Lieutenant Commander Alessandro Cavriani, who was lost at sea while scuttling the ship Ugolino Vivaldi in September 1943.
With a length of approximately 95 meters, a displacement of about 2,400 tons, and the capacity to accommodate 93 crew members, the “Vivaldi” stands out for its concentration of technological solutions, as well as for its standards of excellence in terms of automation and maneuverability, making it suitable for a wide range of tactical scenarios and weather conditions. Among the most notable innovations is the integrated naval cockpit, developed for the Multi Purpose Combat Ships (PPA) of the Italian Navy, the result of collaboration between Fincantieri NexTech and Leonardo, representing a generational leap. This station allows the control of engines, rudders, and platform systems, as well as some combat system functions, by just two operators—the pilot and co-pilot—optimizing efficiency and safety.
The OPV program addresses the need to ensure adequate capabilities for presence and surveillance, maritime patrol, merchant traffic control, protection of communication lines and the exclusive economic zone, as well as activities to counter threats from marine pollution, such as the spillage of toxic liquids. For Fincantieri, the OPV program marks an important milestone, further strengthening its position as a global leader in naval defense through the FCX product family, of which the new patrol vessels are a part. This project also confirms Fincantieri’s role as a strategic partner of the Italian Navy.
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Naval News comments:
First unit in the Italian Navy’s PPX program, the keel laying of Vivaldi took place in December 2024.
With a full load displacement of about 2,400 t, an overall length of about 95 meters, a maximum beam of 14.2 meters, a construction height of 8.4 meters and a maximum draft of only 5.4 meters to operate from a wide range of harbours. The OPV hull design is characterized by bow area featuring a bulb and a completely covered mooring area, alongside active stabilizer fins amidships to ensure operational capability in high sea state conditions and rough weather.
The forward superstructures are characterized by a bridge followed by the combat operations centre (COC) and dominated by the Naval Cockpit which represents the main distinctive feature and innovation derived from the developments of the PPA project, together with the extended bridge wings that ensure practically 360° coverage around the unit.
The new OPVs have accommodations for up to 93 personnel, including the crew which was set at around 70 elements to also operate the anti-pollution equipment and ensure continuous operations despite the hight degree of automation, flight and boarding/special forces detachments.
To learn more about this new class of Italian Navy OPV, please check our technical overview
