Fincantieri will build a second LSS unit for the Italian Navy

(To Fincantieri)
20/12/21

The Temporary Business Grouping (RTI) led by Fincantieri has signed a contract with OCCAR (Organization Conjointe de Cooperation sur l'Armement, the international armaments cooperation organization) for the construction of a second logistic support unit (LSS, or Logistic Support Ship) intended for the Navy, as part of a program that also includes a third one.

The LSS will be entirely built and delivered at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2025. The contract is worth approximately 410 million euros including the combat system.

The order also provides for the supply of support to the life cycle of the unit in the first ten years, divided into logistics and service support activities (maintenance activities), as well as that of naval components and machinery manufactured by the Systems and Mechanical Components Department of Fincantieri. , including shaft lines, wheelhouse, thrusters, stabilizer fins and other handling equipment.

As part of the multi-year program for the protection of the maritime capacity of Defense (the so-called "Naval Law"), Fincantieri is currently building seven multipurpose offshore patrol vessels (PPA) and the transport and landing unit (LHD - Landing Helicopter Dock) "Trieste" and in March of this year delivered the LSS "Vulcano", a project the latter also acquired by the French National Navy for the definition of the Flotlog program, a series of units built in collaboration with the shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia.

The fundamental characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their very high level of innovation which makes them extremely flexible in different usage profiles with a high degree of efficiency. In particular, these units can also be used in a complementary way in non-military activities such as, for example, support for civil protection in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities; in addition they have a low environmental impact thanks to the adoption of advanced generation and propulsion systems with low polluting emissions (generators and electric propulsion motors) and control of biological effluents.

LSS - Logistic Support Ship

The LSS is a logistical support unit for the fleet also equipped with hospital and health capacity thanks to the presence of a fully equipped hospital of about 800 square meters, which includes: 2 operating rooms with pre-anesthesia, a radiology room, a dental cabinet and one gynecological, 2 first aid clinics, a clinical diagnostic laboratory and blood library, an intensive care room, a CT room, and a burn room. The ship is able to combine transport and transfer capacities to other naval units of liquid cargo (diesel, aviation fuel, fresh water) and solid cargo (spare parts, food and ammunition) and to carry out operations at sea in favor of other units repair and maintenance. Defense systems, on the other hand, are limited to command and control capabilities in tactical scenarios, communications and non-lethal dissuasive defense systems. The unit is capable of embarking even more complex defense systems and becoming a platform for electronic warfare and intelligence systems.

• 193 meters long 

• about 20 knots of maximum speed

• 235 people between crew and specialists 

• ability to supply drinking water ashore for approximately 6.000 people

• ability to supply electricity to shore for a power of 2500 kw 

• possibility of embarking up to 28 ISO 20 modules including housing / sanitary modules 

• rescue capacity at sea, through recovery operations and on the bottom (the ship is equipped with 2 cranes of 30 t with offshore capacity)

• base for rescue operations with 2 helicopters and special boats (2RHIB and 2 tenders)