Fincantieri tweaks PPA patrol vessel design to carry more missiles

ROME — New versions of Italy’s PPA multimission navy vessels are to be kitted out with extra missile launchers, including cruise missile launchers, Italian industry officials said at the Euronaval trade show in Paris.

The ships’ new “EVO” variant, which the Italian Navy may order next year, will get extra Sylver 50 launch modules, which house Aster missiles, but also Sylver 70 launch modules which will fire Aster missiles as well as cruise missiles, including the MdCN naval land-attack missile.

The beefing up of the PPA vessel is the latest example of Italian cash being spent on renewing and upgrading its naval fleet, from new FREMM variants to Italy’s ordered Trieste Landing Helicopter Dock.

Italy has ordered seven PPA vessels from local shipyard Fincantieri, but two of those have now been diverted to Indonesia following a purchase made by the Asian state.

The Italian Navy is set to order two more to make up the deficit and is likely to switch to the EVO configuration for the new buys.

Current PPA versions have two eight-cell Sylver 50 launchers in the forward part of the ship. Two more eight-cell modules will be added in that part of the vessel in the EVO ships. Additionally, a crane will be removed in the centre of the EVO ships to make way for four more modules, each with space for eight missiles.

“At least two of the modules added on the EVO vessels will be Sylver 70,” said a Fincantieri official.

Other upgrades included the introduction of artificial intelligence to support the bridge and the use of a “digital twin” of the vessel to assist maintenance, the official said.

To prepare for the deployment of surface and sub-sea drones from the PPAs, the communication between the bridge and drones will be enhanced.

The first of the two PPA vessels ordered in a €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) deal by Indonesia in March 2024 is due to be delivered by the end of this year.

Fincantieri previously signed to sell six FREMM frigates to Indonesia in 2021.

In July, the Italian Navy signed a €1.5 billion euro contract with Fincantieri and Leonardo for two new, upgraded FREMM frigates, dubbed the FREMM EVO, which will offer enhanced capabilities for defeating drone attacks and operating sub-sea, surface and aerial unmanned systems, among other improvements.

The two new FREMM vessels, which will join ten already ordered by the Italian Navy, will be delivered in 2029 and 2030.

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

罗马——意大利工业界官员在巴黎举行的欧洲海军展上表示，意大利新型PPA多用途海军舰艇将配备额外的导弹发射器，包括巡航导弹发射器。

意大利海军明年可能会订购的新型“EVO”型舰艇将配备额外的Sylver 50发射模块（用于发射Aster导弹），以及Sylver 70发射模块（用于发射Aster导弹以及巡航导弹，包括MdCN舰载陆攻导弹）。

PPA 舰艇的强化是意大利斥巨资更新和升级其海军舰队的最新例证，从新的 FREMM 型号到意大利订购的的里雅斯特两栖攻击舰。

意大利向当地造船厂芬坎蒂尼订购了七艘PPA船舶，但其中两艘已被印度尼西亚购买，转而交付给印度尼西亚。

意大利海军计划再订购两艘以弥补缺口，并且新购的舰艇可能会采用 EVO 配置。

目前的PPA舰艇前部配备两座八单元“银50”导弹发射装置。EVO型舰艇将在该位置再增加两座八单元发射模块。此外，EVO型舰艇中部将移除一台起重机，以便安装四个额外的发射模块，每个模块可容纳八枚导弹。

芬坎蒂尼集团的一位官员表示：“EVO 型船舶上新增的模块中，至少有两个将是 Sylver 70 型。”

该官员表示，其他升级措施包括引入人工智能来辅助驾驶，以及使用船舶的“数字孪生”来协助维护。

为从 PPA 部署水面和水下无人机做好准备，将加强驾驶台与无人机之间的通信。

印尼于 2024 年 3 月订购的两艘 PPA 船舶中的第一艘，价值 12 亿欧元（13 亿美元），预计将于今年年底交付。

芬坎蒂尼集团此前已于 2021 年签署协议，向印度尼西亚出售六艘 FREMM 护卫舰。

7 月，意大利海军与 Fincantieri 和 Leonardo 签署了一份价值 15 亿欧元的合同，订购两艘新的、升级版的 FREMM 护卫舰，命名为 FREMM EVO，除其他改进外，还将增强其在击败无人机攻击和操作水下、水面和空中无人系统方面的能力。

这两艘新的FREMM护卫舰将加入意大利海军已订购的十艘护卫舰的行列，分别于2029年和2030年交付。

汤姆·金顿是《防务新闻》驻意大利记者。