On Monday, January 26, 2026, a christening ceremony for the large oceanographic vessel Quirinale (A 5305) of the N.I.O.M. class (Nave Idro-Oceanografica Maggiore), built for the Italian Navy (Marina Militare), took place at the Riva Trigoso shipyard of the Italian company Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani in Liguria, in the province of Genoa. Designed for hydrographic surveying and monitoring tasks, the vessel will support initiatives of the Hydrographic Institute of the Italian Navy, strengthening the country’s capabilities in maritime research and security.
Photos: Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani
The new vessel will replace the Ammiraglio Magnaghi (A 5303), which has been in service since 1975 and has a length of 82.7 m, a beam of 13.7 m, a draft of 3.1 m, and a displacement of 1,744 tonnes. Quirinale is scheduled to enter service in the second quarter of 2027, following the completion of sea trials and acceptance tests.
Plans also include two smaller N.I.O.C.-class (Nave Idro-Oceanografica Costiere) oceanographic vessels intended for operations in the Mediterranean Sea. They will replace the two coastal catamarans Aretusa (A 5304) and Galatea (A 5308) of the Ninfe class, which have been in service since 2002.
The construction costs of the three vessels amount to 444 million EUR, of which 220 million EUR was secured through a multi-year loan taken out in October 2020 by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance from the European Investment Bank. The contract for Quirinale, valued at 280 million EUR, was signed on December 22, 2022. The first steel cutting took place on December 19, 2023, and the keel was laid on May 14, 2024.
Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by the President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci; the Undersecretary of State at the Italian Ministry of Defence, Matteo Perego di Cremnago; the Undersecretary of State for Defence, Senator Isabella Rauti; the Mayor of Sestri Levante, Francesco Solinas; the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Adm. Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto; the Chairman of Fincantieri, Biagio Mazzotta; Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero; the Director of Fincantieri’s Naval Vessels Division, Eugenio Santagata; and the Director of the Muggiano and Riva Trigoso shipyards, Antonio Quintano.
The vessel’s godmother was Eleonora Di Paola, granddaughter of Admiral Luigi Di Paola, decorated with four Bronze Medals for Valor and five War Merit Crosses, and daughter of Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, former Chief of the Defence Staff and Minister of Defence.
Quirinale (A 5305) has a hull approximately 110 m in length and a displacement of around 6,000 tonnes, and can accommodate up to 140 people, including the crew and scientific personnel. The vessel is fitted with a low-emission electric propulsion system, also suitable for operations in environmentally sensitive areas. Designed to operate in extreme climatic conditions, down to temperatures of –16°C, the ship is equipped with advanced scientific instrumentation for hydrographic, oceanographic, and geophysical research. It carries both an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). Technical equipment also includes cranes dedicated to scientific operations and a DP2 dynamic positioning system, ensuring high precision and stability during research activities.
Okręt został zaprojektowany z najwyższą dbałością o zrównoważony rozwój środowiska, wykorzystując technologie redukcji emisji, napęd spalinowo-elektryczny, zoptymalizowany kształt kadłuba i materiały o niskim wpływie na środowisko, zgodnie z zobowiązaniem Fincantieri do certyfikowanego zarządzania środowiskowego ISO 14001 we wszystkich włoskich oddziałach Grupy. Kolejnym kluczowym czynnikiem jest bezpieczeństwo i higiena pracy, z dedykowanymi rozwiązaniami technicznymi mającymi na celu zapewnienie bezpieczeństwa personelu przez cały okres eksploatacji okrętu.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri, stated:
“The Major Hydro-Oceanographic Ship ‘Quirinale’ represents technological and industrial excellence in the service of the national interest. This vessel combines advanced operational capabilities, innovation and environmental sustainability, confirming Fincantieri’s role as a strategic partner of the Italian Navy in the construction of highly technological platforms. Today’s launch bears witness to the ongoing commitment of the national system to the development of state-of-the-art naval solutions capable of meeting scientific, operational and maritime security requirements, while enhancing the know-how and skills of our industrial supply chain.”
The Italian Navy Hydrographic Institute is the state cartographic authority responsible for producing the country’s official national maritime documentation.
The launch ceremony of the Italian Navy’s new Major Hydro-Oceanographic Ship N.I.O.M, named Quirinale, took place today at our integrated shipyard in Riva Trigoso. Designed for scientific mapping and monitoring activities, the vessel will support the initiatives of the Italian… pic.twitter.com/GJULcjD2e6
— Fincantieri (@Fincantieri) January 26, 2026
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