Vittoria Shipyard has completed a new search and rescue (SAR) and offshore patrol vessel with hybrid propulsion to respond to emergencies in the Mediterranean
The Italian shipbuilder delivered the €48.5M (US$58.2M) offshore patrol vessel to the Maltese Government for its heightened SAR, emergency response and surveillance operations.
The 75-m vessel has become the flagship of Malta’s naval forces and will be used for coastal and deepsea monitoring and assisting in sea rescues. Its delivery comes as nations in the Mediterranean prepare for another surge in migrants attempting to cross from North Africa to southern Europe during 2021.
The OPV P71-design, 1,800-tonne vessel’s hybrid propulsion consists of two diesel engines rated 5,440 kW each, integrated with a pair of electric motors of non-specified power output which feed power to two variable-pitch propellers generating speeds of more than 20 knots. Bow and stern thrusters have been added for manoeuvrability and active-fin stabilisers for maximum stability.
It was built under ABS supervision with a beam of 13 m and draught of 3.8 m and has an integrated bridge system and a stern flight deck with the capacity to refuel a 7-tonne helicopter.
Construction was co-funded by the European Union’s 2014-2020 Internal Security Fund (ISF), which was established by to implement internal security, co-operation related to law enforcement and management of the external borders of European countries.
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