Fincantieri press release
The delivery of the corvette “Al Khor”, the third of the Al Zubarah-class of four vessels ordered to Fincantieri by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition program, took place today at the Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard.
The ceremony was attended by Staff Major General Hilal Al Muhannadi, Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar in Rome, Major General Hassan Rashid Al Ali, Head of QAF Projects, Brigadier General Abdulla Al Mazroey, Deputy Chief of the Qatar Navy and Commander of the Flottilla, Mr Ahmed Mohammed AlShebani, representative of Qatar Embassy, Rear Admiral Giuseppe Scorsone, Director of Maritime Military Arsenal of La Spezia, and by Andrea Viero, Senior Vice President Market Development and Innovation Naval Vessels Division of Fincantieri.
The Al Zubarah-class corvettes, designed consistent with the RINAMIL rules, will be highly flexible and capable of fulfilling different kinds of tasks, from surveillance with sea rescue capacities to fighting vessels. They will be about 107 meters long, 14.70 meters wide, and equipped with a combined diesel and diesel plant (CODAD), with a maximum speed of 28 knots. The units will be able to accommodate 112 persons on board.
Furthermore, the corvettes will be capable of operating high-speed boats such as RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern. The flight deck and hangar are sized for hosting one NH90 helicopter.
Naval News comments on Al Zubarah corvettes
With a full load displacement of circa 3,250 tonnes, a length and beam of respectively 107 and 14.7 meters, the new Al Zubarah-class corvettes feature a CODAD configured propulsion system based on four diesel engines connected through reduction gears to two shaft lines with variable pitch propellers and conventional rudders providing a maximum continuous and cruising speed of respectively 28 and 15 knots.
With such compact dimensions and displacement, and a crew core of 98 members plus accommodation for additional 14 units, the new platform present a sophisticated and robust combat system with a full range of weapons for anti-air warfare (AAW, with Aster 30 Block 1 and RAM missiles) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) operations while the platform anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities are limited to self-defense, although the ship can accommodate and operate a NH90 NFH maritime helicopter which can be equipped with an ASW suite including lightweight torpedoes.
To learn more details about the Al Zubarah-class corvettes, check out:
