The largest warship built and outfitted under the so-called latest Legge Navale (Naval Law)’s fleet renewal programme by the temporary industrial consortium led by Fincantieri shipbuilding group as prime contractor and Leonardo as combat system integrator and main sub-contractor, the new platform was ‘traditionally’ launched at Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia (near Naples) shipyard on 25 May 2019, at the presence of Italy’s President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura, the latter as ship’s godmother.
The shipbuilding contract was awarded by Italian MoD’s Naval Armament Directorate (NAVARM) and became effective on July 2015 for about €1.1 billion value. The latter also includes a logistic and training package with support during the shipbuilding (including courses, spare parts and technical documentation) and for the first ten-years of service (ISS, In-Service Support).With the first steel cut celebrated in July 2017 followed by the keel block laying on February 2018, the overall shipbuilding activities were conducted at Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, where the ship completed the propulsion and ship management fitting-out before being transferred to the Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard (near La Spezia) to complete the platform systems and combat system outfitting.
With the first sea-going conducted on 12 August, the shipbuilding and sea-trials programme is on schedule as originally planned. After completing the first sea trials, the new platform is expected to move to Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard by the month-end, where dry-dock with overhaul activities are usually conducted on large ships for the dock dimensions, after the ship has been berthed at Muggiano shipyard since its arrival from Castellammare di Stabia in 2020.
The LHD will then return to Muggiano shipyard near La Spezia to conduct final outfitting and sea trails, followed by acceptance trials. The shipbuilding, outfitting and acceptance trials programme schedules a delivery in October 2022, with a few months delay due to the pandemic.
