Italian Navy Launches First Next-Generation OPV ‘Ugolino Vivaldi’

The Italian Navy launched the next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessel “Ugolino Vivaldi” at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Riva Trigoso on February 21.

The vessel is the first of four units under construction for the service.

The program was assigned by the Naval Armaments Directorate, part of the National Armaments Directorate, to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture owned by Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%).

The OPV is about 95 meters long, displaces around 2,400 tons, and accommodates up to 93 crew members. It features an integrated naval cockpit developed for the Italian Navy’s Multi-Purpose Combat Ships (PPA) through cooperation between Fincantieri NexTech and Leonardo. The system allows two operators—pilot and co-pilot—to control engines, rudders, platform systems, and certain combat functions.

According to Fincantieri, the OPV program supports presence and surveillance, maritime patrol, merchant traffic control, protection of communication lines and the exclusive economic zone, and countering marine pollution threats, including toxic liquid spills.