Fincantieri's Fourth Todaro-Class Submarine Delivered To Italian Navy

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the new Type U212A Todaro-class submarine Romeo Romei to the Italian Navy's NAVARM naval armament unit

The submarine, which was delivered at the company's shipyard in Muggiano located at La Spezia of Italy, is the last of the four Todaro-class twin units ordered by NAVARM, the company announced Thursday.

Its other twin unit, Pietro Venuti, was delivered to the navy at the Muggiano shipyard in July last year.

Romeo Romei is constructed using amagnetic material. Further, it has been equipped with highly innovative technological solutions.

The submarine also uses the latest and upgraded silencing techniques to reduce its acoustic signature.

The Italian Navy vessel features an overall length of 55.9m and a maximum diameter of 7m, with a surface displacement capability of 1,509t. It can exceed 16k underwater with a 27-person crew.

Romeo Romei is similar to the other submarines in the series in that it consists a silent propulsion system based on fuel cell technology, which helps generate energy via an oxygen-hydrogen reaction independently from external oxygen.

"The Italian Navy vessel features an overall length of 55.9m and a maximum diameter of 7m, with a surface displacement capability of 1,509t, ensuring higher autonomy in submersion than more conventional battery-based systems.

The vessel features an electro-acoustic system, which is fully integrated into the command and control system, in addition to a modern automation system within the control platform.

The construction project of the navy’s Pietro Venuti and Romeo Romei submarines is a continuation of the programme launched in 1994 in cooperation with the German Submarine Consortium.

Romeo Romei began a series of sea trials in the Gulf of La Spezia in March last year, after completing shore tests and acceptance trials during its construction and outfitting phase.