Italian Navy taps local shipbuilder for design studies of new minehunter

By Baird Maritime - February 18, 2021.

*Milazzo, an Italian Navy Lerici-class mine countermeasures vessel (Photo: Intermarine)*

The Italian Navy has awarded local shipbuilder Intermarine a contract for risk reduction and definition studies in connection with a planned series of mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels.

The 12 ships of this series are expected to replace the Italian Navy’s existing four Lerici-class and eight similar Gaeta-class MCM vessels, which were originally built in the 1970s and 1980s.

If approved, the new minehunters will be built in 60-metre and 80-metre versions. Both versions will have ultra-thick FRP hulls, thus eliminating the need for reinforcing frames, and shells made of composite material.

The new vessels will also be capable of deploying unmanned vehicles for MCM operations.