On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, a steel-cutting ceremony was held at the Riva Trigoso shipyard in Liguria’s Province of Genoa, operated by the Italian company Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani – marking the start of construction of the first of two additional MPCS/PPA (Multipurpose Combat Ship/Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura) class multirole guided-missile frigates for the Italian Navy (Marina Militare).
Among those attending the ceremony was shipyard director Antonio Quintano / Photos: Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani
On June 26, 2025, Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani signed a contract valued at approximately 700 million EUR, through the European joint armaments cooperation organization OCCAR (Organisation conjointe de coopération en matière d’armement), for the delivery to the Italian Ministry of Defense of two additional MPCS/PPA-class frigates. These vessels will replace the units previously sold to Indonesia as KRI Brawijaya (320) and KRI Prabu Siliwangi (321).
The contract extension, originally authorized under the latest “Naval Act,” is being implemented by OCCAR within a Temporary Business Grouping (RTI) formed by Fincantieri as prime contractor and Leonardo as partner. The two new PPA-class multirole combat vessels will be delivered in the Light+ configuration. Their hulls will be built at Fincantieri shipyards in Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with deliveries scheduled for 2029 and 2030, respectively.
The 143-meter vessels in the ordered Light+ configuration have a displacement of 5,880 tons. The CODAGOL (Combined Diesel and Gas or Electric) propulsion system consists of one General Electric/Avio LM2500+G4 TAG gas turbine rated at 32,000 kW (43,000 hp); two MTU Friedrichshafen 20V 8000 M91L diesel engines, each producing 10,000 kW (13,000 hp); two MAN Energy Solutions GenSets 12V175D-MEM diesel generators rated at 1,640 kW (2,200 hp) each; two backup Isotta Fraschini 16V170C2ME diesel generators; two electric motors rated at 1,350 kW each; and one 550 kW (740 hp) bow thruster. Power transmitted to two shafts and propellers will provide a maximum speed of 31.6 knots and a range of 5,500 nautical miles. The crew consists of 171 officers and sailors, with accommodations for an additional 30 personnel. The ships are capable of operating one AgustaWestland AW101 helicopter or two NH90 helicopters.
Depending on the configuration, thanks to their modular design, the ships are either equipped as standard or prepared for the installation of various types of armament. These include SYLVER-family vertical launch systems for Aster 15 and Aster 30 Block 1NT surface-to-air and anti-missile interceptors, as well as MdCN cruise missiles. They are also fitted with launchers for TESEO Otomat Mk2 anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedoes. All vessels are additionally armed with a 127 mm/64 OTO Melara Vulcano automatic gun, a 76 mm/62 OTO Melara Strales automatic gun, 25 mm/80 automatic cannons, 12.7 mm machine guns, and non-lethal acoustic weapons. The Light+ configuration is equipped with C-band air-surveillance radars, while the Full variant features both C-band and X-band radars, including the SPS-732 (RAN 30X/I).
Currently, the Italian Navy operates four vessels known as the Thaon di Revel class: Paolo Thaon di Revel (P430) in the Light configuration, currently being upgraded to Full (with displacement increased to 6,270 tons); Francesco Morosini (P431), also in the Light configuration and undergoing conversion to Full; Raimondo Montecuccoli (P432) in the Light+ configuration; and Giovanni delle Bande Nere (P434) in the Full configuration. In August 2026, Domenico Millelire (P436), in the Full configuration, will enter service, bringing the total to seven vessels.
Today, at our Riva Trigoso shipyard, the steel cutting ceremony was held for the eighth PPA (Multipurpose Combat Ship), attended, among others, by the shipyard Director Antonio Quintano.
A new cutting-edge vessel, part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian… pic.twitter.com/KHuC1vpam7
— Fincantieri (@Fincantieri) February 4, 2026
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