FINCANTIERI: FOURTH CORVETTE “SEMAISMA” FOR QATAR DELIVERED

The delivery of the corvette “Semaisma”, the fourth and last of the Al Zubarah-class 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, among others, by Staff Major General (Sea) Abdullah Hassan  AlSulaiti, Commander of Qatar Emiri Naval Forces, H.E. Khalid bin Yousef Al-Sada, the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Italy, Major General Hassan Rashid Al Ali, Head of Qatar Armed Forces Projects, Staff Major General Hilal Al Muhannadi, Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar in Rome, Vice Admiral Salvatore Vitiello, Commanding Officer of Italian Navy Logistic Command and Naval Equipment Inspector, and Dario Deste, General Manager 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 being 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.