The delivery of the first Musherib-class offshore patrol vessel ordered to Fincantieri by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition program, took place at the Muggiano shipyard. Musherib (QB1) is the lead ship of the Musherib-class offshore patrol vessels built for the Qatari Emiri Navy. Attending the event were H.E. Khalid bin Yousef Al-Sada, Ambassador of The State of Qatar to Italy, Staff Brigadier Abdulla Al Mazroey, Deputy Chief of the Qatar Navy and Commander of the Flottilla, Vice Admiral Giuseppe Abbamonte, Commanding Officer of the Italian Navy Logistics Command, and Marco Acca, Deputy General Manager Naval Vessel Division of Fincantieri.
Musherib was laid down in August 2017 in Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano, Italy. She was launched on 18 September 2020, and expected to arrive in Qatar in 2022. The offshore patrol vessel has been designed in compliance with the RINAMIL for Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) rules and is a flexible type of ship capable of performing several services, from surveillance to combat functions. It is about 63 meters long, 9.2 meters wide, with a maximum speed of 30 knots and it accommodates as many as 38 of crew members. They are able to operate high speed boats such as rigid-hulled inflatable boats with the help of lateral cranes and hauling ramps.
The contract, worth for Fincantieri nearly 4 billion euros, envisages the supply of seven surface vessels, including four corvettes, one amphibious vessel (LPD – Landing Platform Dock), and two patrol vessels (OPV – Offshore Patrol Vessel) as well as support services in Qatar for further 10 years after the delivery of the vessels. All the units are entirely built in the Group’s Italian shipyards, ensuring continuity to the activities until 2024 as well as guaranteeing an important impact on the main Italian defense companies. Last October Fincantieri has delivered “Al Zubarah”, the first-in-class of 4 corvettes of the same program for Qatar.
Fincantieri S.p.A. is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014). The company builds both commercial and military vessels. The company is listed on the Borsa Italiana (Milan Stock Exchange) and is a component of FTSE Italia Mid Cap Index. In March 2018, Fincantieri established Fincantieri Services USA – a subsidiary based in Miami, Florida, USA.
