All of the Italian Navy’s PPA offshore patrol vessels will be upgraded to Full Combat System configuration under a new agreement, shipbuilder Fincantieri has revealed.
The PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura or Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Vessel) are warships built by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy, under a programme managed by joint armament procurement and life management agency OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement).
Originally seven Thaon di Revel-class PPAs were ordered, equipped in a mixture of tiered Light, Light+ and Full configurations. The Italian Navy initially intended to acquire two Light variants, three Light+ and two Full-specification ships.
Two of the initial seven Light+ variant PPAs were exported to Indonesia and their Full-configuration replacements are now under construction by Fincantieri, with delivery anticipated in 2029 and 2030 respectively. Indonesia is also reported to be interested in upgrading its two warships.
Under the newly announced deal, all of the Italian Navy ships will now be upgraded to the Full Combat System specification. As per an OCCAR statement, they will also receive cyber-defence upgrades and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) systems.
Light configuration warships were equipped with guns and X band radar 4FF; Light+ and Full options also included two eight-cell vertical launch systems (VLS) for Aster anti-aircraft missiles. The Light+ OPVs had C band radar and the Full version carried full dual-band radar.
Full configuration vessels also come equipped with eight Teseo Evo Mk2/E anti-ship missile launchers, two triple torpedo launchers for anti-submarine warfare, an Active Towed Array Sonar and a full electronic warfare (EW) suite.
The OCCAR statement noted: “With the signing of this amendment, the PPA programme continues to evolve in line with the Italian Navy’s operational requirements, consolidating the programme’s maturity and its emphasis on advanced technological capabilities.”
- You can read more details on the Fincantieri website and the OCCAR website