The steel cutting ceremony of the second Logistic Support Ship (LSS) for the Italian Navy, within a program including the option for a third ship, took place today at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, where the LSS will be entirely built and delivered in 2025. The value of the contract is approx. 410 million euros including the combat system. As part of the multi-year program aimed at safeguarding Italy’s Defence at-sea capacity (known as the “Naval Act”), Fincantieri is currently building seven multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels (PPA) – the first one, “Thaon di Revel”, was delivered in March – and the “Trieste” Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD).
Last year the Group delivered the “Vulcano” LSS, a vessel launched at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard. That project was also acquired by the French Navy for the definition of the Flotlog program, a series of units built in partnership with the same shipyard. Vulcano is an auxiliary ship that entered service with the Italian Navy on 12 March 2021. She is designed to support fleet operations with fuel and dry stores. Along with another future sister ship, she is expected to replace the replenishment oilers (AORs) Stromboli-class replenishment oiler. The French Navy through OCCAR ordered four modified ships of the class to replace its Durance-class tankers to be delivered in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029. The program is known as the Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces (BRF).
The basic characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their very high level of innovation, which makes them extremely flexible in their various profiles of use with a high degree of efficiency. Most importantly, it will be possible to use these units in a complementary way even for non-military-related activities, such as, for example, supporting civil protection in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Moreover, their environmental impact is low, thanks to advanced low pollution emission generators and electric-drive propulsion motors and biological waste control systems.
