The launching ceremony of the seventh PPA ( Multipurpose Combat Ship ), “Domenico Millelire”, took place yesterday at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso.
The ceremony was attended by, among others, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto , and Massimo Scialpi, Deputy Director of OCCAR , welcomed for Fincantieri by Dario Deste, General Director of Naval Ships . Godmother of the launch was Franca Millelire , a relative of Domenico Millelire.
The unit is part of the plan to renew the operational lines of the naval units of the Navy decided by the Government and Parliament and launched under the aegis of OCCAR (Organisation for joint cooperation in the field of armaments).
Technical characteristics of the PPA unit
The PPA represents a highly flexible type of ship with the ability to carry out multiple tasks ranging from patrolling with rescue capabilities at sea, to Civil Protection operations, as well as, in its most equipped version, as a front-line combatant ship. In fact, different combat system configurations are envisaged: starting from a “light” one, relating to the patrolling task, integrated with self-defense capabilities, up to a “complete” one, equipped with maximum defense capacity. Furthermore, the unit is capable of employing fast RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) type boats up to a length of over 11 meters via side cranes or a launching ramp located at the stern.
• 143 meters overall length
• Speed over 31 knots
• 171 crew members
• Equipped with a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) plant and an electric propulsion system
• Ability to supply drinking water and electricity on land
The PPAs are built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano with deliveries expected until 2026.
