Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Vittoria has delivered OPV P71, a new flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta.
As informed, the delivery ceremony took place in Valletta, Malta on 22 March. The 75-meter-long unit will be used in coastal surveillance operations, extended patrolling on the high seas, and search and rescue operations.
“The vessel now supplied to the Maltese Armed Forces, due to its design qualities, technical and equipment, will be able to represent an international point of reference for units of the same type,” Luigi Duò, a member of the board of directors of the shipyard, commented.
OPV P71 is the result of the contract, with a total value of over 50 million euros, obtained by the Venetian company through the participation in a preselection first and in an international public tender then headed by the Ministry of Defense of the island and co -financed (75%) by the EU under the Internal Security Fund.
P71 measures 74.8 meters in length and will be capable of attaining speeds of over 20 knots. According to the Armed Forces of Malta, the vessel displaces 1800 tons.
The vessel is equipped with Rolls-Royce’s marine propulsion package and fitted with a pair of PROMAS controllable pitch propellers and rudders, SC722 FCP steering gear, a TT1300 bow thruster, a TT100 stern thruster, Fin Stabilisers, and a touch-screen remote control system with the CanMan Touch Joystick.
To remind, the Armed Forces of Malta signed the contract with the Italian company in 2019. The new unit will be the largest patrol vessel to emerge from the Vittoria shipyard and the flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta.