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Comandanti class patrol vessel.
Photo: Marina Militare Italiana |
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Sirio class patrol vessel.
Photo: Marina Militare Italiana |
The most modern offshore patrol vessels in service with Italian Navy (Marina Militare) are the ships of the Comandanti and Sirio classes, two classes of the same design that share some common equipment. The four patrol vessels of the Comandanti class were built by Fincantieri and they were delivered to the Italian Navy the period 2002-2004. The program is also known as Nuove Unità Minori Combattenti (NUMC). The last vessel, the
Foscari, was built with composite superstructure made off glass reinforced plastic instead of steel having in that way less mass and therefore
resulting in reduced fuel consumption and improved life cycle of the ship. The two vessels of the Sirio class, also known as Nuove Unità di Pattugliamento d'Altura (NUPA), were commissioned in 2005. The NUPA program gives less emphasis on stealth characteristics, performance and equipment for operations in
low intensity conflict environment such as NUMC program as the main mission of the Sirio class patrol vessels is to safeguard
national interests in the fields of anti-pollution and
rescue services. Therefore, among others, Sirio boats lack the main naval gun and the fire control system, they have less powerful engines and they have no hangar but only a flight deck. However the ships have all the provisions to be equipped as their older sisters. Both classes can various missions such as patrolling and surveillance at sea, control of maritime traffic and inspections, humanitarian relief operations, search and rescue operations, control of the maritime borders, protection of merchant shipping and fisheries, support operations and many more.
