The steel cutting ceremony of the first patrol vessel (OPV - Offshore Patrol Vessel) ordered to Fincantieri by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition programme, took place today at the Muggiano (La Spezia) yard.

Following the enactment of the contract with Argentina, Naval Group has started off work on the four offshore patrol vessels, the French shipyard confirmed today. The first vessel to be delivered will be L'Adroit. Developed by Naval Group and built out of its own funds, this vessel had previously been made available to the French Navy since 2011.

On Wednesday 16th January 2019, the Armed Forces of Malta have signed a US$40 million contract for an additional Offshore Patrol Vessel, which will be named P71. The project of asecond and more capable OPV was launched in 2015, and has since then started to take shape.