Today, 27 September, the delivery ceremony to the Navy of the ship was held at the Fincantieri factory in Muggiano (La Spezia). Raimondo Montecuccoli in the presence of the commander of the Navy Schools, team admiral Antonio Natale, of the deputy director of Naval Armaments, Dr. Emanuele Coletti, of the director ofJoint Organization for Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR), Joachim Sucker and the general director of Fincantieri's Military Ships division, Dr. Dario Deste.
This is the third unit of the PPA (Multipurpose Offshore Patrol) class, an instrument characterized by high operational flexibility, designed to operate in the most varied contexts of the maritime dimension and capable of carrying out multiple tasks, both of a purely military nature and of support to civilian population in case of disaster. Admiral Natale stated during his speech “this ship is the tangible example of a concrete synergy in a strategic sector for Italy and its essential maritime vocation. Montecuccoli will be ambassador of the Navy, Defence, national industry, our technological sector and, more generally, of the multifaceted Italian capabilities".
Designed and built entirely in Italy, the Montecuccoli ship is a concrete demonstration of the technological evolution and manufacturing capabilities expressed by the excellence of the national shipbuilding industry. It is the first PPA in the configuration LightPlus which, compared to the version Light, includes a latest generation vertical cell missile system, an innovative multifunction fixed-face radar specifically designed for anti-air defense and an electronic countermeasures subsystem.
At the end of a complex course of sea trials and crew training ensured by new shipbuilding equipment center (MARINALLES), the unit passes under the command of the first naval division (COMDINAV UNO), based in La Spezia, and will shortly begin a training program of increasing difficulty aimed at achieving full operational readiness.
