First PPA of Italian Navy sails for the first time

The fist ship of the “Paolo Thaon di Revel” class, P430, sails for the first time in the Tyrrehenian Sea near La Spezia.

PPA 1, named “Paolo Thaon di Revel”, is the lead ship PPA in Light configuration. During the FSG (First Sea Going), several platform systems/equipment installed on-board have been set up and successfully tested.

PPA Class

The acronym PPA stands for Pattugliatore Polivalente di Altura (multipurpose offshore ship). The class will be built by Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups, to replace four “Classe Soldati” and eight “Classe Minerva”. In the Italy’s Navy Act of 2014 a total of sixteen ships are planned. PPAs will be delivered in a full, light+ and light configuration in terms of different sensors and equipments.

The Italian Navy will embark the new MBDA TESEO MK/2E (TESEO EVO) missiles with long range anti-ship and land attack capabilities.

The vessels are able to undertake a wide variety of tasks and missions: both traditional naval activities and also humanitarian assignments for which the vessels will be equipped with modular shelters.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce will supply 14 of its highest-powered MTU diesel engines type 20V 8000 M91L (10.000 kW of power). This will be the first time MTU engines have been used in newly-designed surface vessels operated by the Italian Navy. Each vassel’s propulsion system includes two MTU diesel engines able to power the ships above 24 knots in Diesel Mode. MTU engines equips also the diesel-electric Type U-212A submarines and the training ship “Amerigo Vespucci”

OCCAR

The PPA contract was signed on May 2015 and only after four years and half have elapsed before the FSG, a worldwide remarkable achievement for OCCAR as contracting authority.

Future

“Paolo Thaon di Revel” is expected to complete the sea trials in March 2021 and to be delivered to the Italian Navy in May 2021.

The first four ship (seven are under current contract) are currently in the production stage.

The second one, also in Light configuration, will be named “Francesco Morosini”, the venetian Doge, and will be launched in march 2020.

Paolo Thaon di Revel

Paolo Camillo Thaon, Marquess of Revel was an admiral of the Royal Italian Navy during the World War I and later, during the Fascists Regime, a politician (Minister of Navy and later President of the Italian Senate). He took part as Rear-admiral in the Italo-Tukish War commanding Italian cruisers in the Battle of Beirut. During the battle two armoured cruisers defeated two turkish ships, a corvette and a torpedo boat.