Fincantieri to provide support ship to Italian Navy

The Vard-built UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary ocean surveillance ship RFA Proteus . The ship being provided by Fincantieri for Italy may be of a similar design and role. (Gordon Brodie)

Italian shipyard Fincantieri has announced that it will supply a support vessel, to be capable of underwater operations, to the Italian Navy.

In a press release dated 28 November, the shipyard said that it would supply a ship “to deliver maximum operational versatility, including underwater operations. The vessel's configuration and available spaces allow it to be adapted for multiple operational roles, ensuring flexibility and rapid reconfiguration based on mission needs”. Before entry into Italian Navy service, the ship will be refitted at Fincantieri's Palermo facility.

While not specifically stated in the press release, it is likely that the ship being supplied is for the Italian Navy's Multi-purpose Underwater Surveillance Ship (Unità Polivalente per la Sorveglianza della Dimensione Subacquea: UPSDS) programme.

In July 2025, the Italian Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) Directorate of Naval Armaments published a preliminary market consultation for the UPSDS. The consultation included plans to “acquire a suitable naval unit from the used market for subsequent use” as the UPSDS. The consultation outlined that the ship is to have an overall length of between 75 and 110 m, a large working deck, a 40 tonne crane, and a dynamic positioning system, and to be capable of deploying unmanned maritime vehicles. The MoD indicated an expected delivery of February 2026, or within 120 days from the start of the contract.

The Italian Navy currently utilises its Lerici/Gaeta-class minehunters and their embarked remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as part of Operation ‘Fondali Sicuri' (Safe Seabeds) to assist in critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) protection and underwater surveillance tasks.

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