Fincantieri: new defence logistics division / GALLERY

La Spezia - “With an eye to the technologies of the future, we are creating an engineering division dedicated to defence technologies and to better serve the needs of logistical support.” This from the managing director of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono, in La Spezia at the Muggiano plant, where the steel cutting ceremony for the construction of the first Doha-class corvette for Qatar took place. Fincantieri has “a contract to provide them logistical support for the next 10 years: we must equip ourselves to support the logistics of the ship, not only to make it operational, but to help the armed forces make it ready for real-world scenarios,” said Bono, “We have already acquired major companies in La Spezia to complete the design.”

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THE COMMISSION FROM QATAR
The naval vessel is part of a commission worth almost four billion, with a contract signed in 2016, that provides for supplying Qatar’s Navy with seven ships in six years; four corvettes, an amphibious vessel and two patrol vessels. The first corvette will be delivered by 2022. The ceremony was attended by the Defence Minister of Qatar, Khalid bin Mohammed al Attiyah and the Italian Defence Minister, Elisabetta Trenta. Bono himself hosted the event. As Fincantieri’s chief explained, the program also includes supporting the Qatari Navy for almost ten years, with the aim of training Qatar’s crews, who will be hosted in the Naval Academy in September, and then in the NCO schools in 2019: “Today Fincantieri can be proud of this result,” Trenta said, “another opportunity to represent our country’s productive and technological capabilities.” “The prospects for the contracts acquired are positive, as are the prospects for future contracts in the coming years,” Bono said, “ We are the global reference point for cruises, and for the military, and we now hope to take further steps to allow us to make a larger technological leap. This is one of the most important contracts ever awarded, and it is a contract that we are building in Italy.” At about 107m long and over 14m wide, the corvette can reach 28 knots and accommodate up to 112 people. It will be equipped with a CODAD propulsion system and will be able to accommodate a helicopter and RHIB fast craft. Attiyah said, “We can now see the results of the good work that we have done in recent years. The relationship between Italy and Qatar is very important not only in the military field, but also in terms of investments in the economy and other projects that are being implemented. We are certain that this is the beginning of continuous work with Fincantieri.” The Vice Prime Minister also underlined “the fundamental contribution of Leonardo (editor’s note: the top Italian defence systems group) for the State of Qatar.”

“MEDITERRANEAN COMMITMENT”
A plan that aims to provide Qatar’s Navy with cutting-edge vessels: “Italy and Qatar are traditionally close, political dialogue is open in all areas, and over the years, industrial cooperation has been consolidated.” These were Trenta’s comments on the contract between Fincantieri and Qatar. Trenta continued, “We are giving a new meaning to the attention that our country pays to the Middle East area, which takes shape through participation in United Nations and European Community missions. The current government is committed to promoting any initiative that can stabilize alliances oriented towards the Mediterranean and the Middle East.”