On 13 July 2024 the seventh PPA (Multipurpose Combat Ship) Domenico Millelire was launched at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Riva Trigoso (Genova).
The ceremony was attended by, among others, Vice Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, Deputy Chief of Staff of Italian Navy, and Massimo Scialpi, Deputy Director OCCAR, welcomed for Fincantieri by Dario Deste, General Manager Naval Vessels Division. Godmother of the ceremony was Ms Franca Millelire, a relative of Domenico Millelire.
This vessel is part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian Navy vessels, approved by the Government and Parliament under the aegis of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for cooperation on arms).
The PPA is a highly flexible ship with the capacity to serve multiple functions, ranging from patrol with sea rescue capacity to Civil Protection operations and, in its most highly equipped version, first line fighting vessel.
There will be indeed different configurations of combat system: starting from a ‘soft’ version for the patrol task, integrated for self-defence ability, to a “full” one, equipped for a complete defence ability. The vessel is also capable of operating high-speed vessels such as RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) up to 11m long through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern.
The 143m Bessel has a speed of more than 31 knots and a crew of 171. It is equipped with a combined diesel, a gas turbine plant (CODAG) and an electric propulsion system.
The PPA ships are built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano with deliveries expected until 2026.
