The Guardia di Finanza has launched a tender to secure the “turnkey” supply of “two naval platforms of the Coast Guard type,” making a budget of 28.6 million euros available. As clarified by the contracting determination that initiated the procedure, the administration reserves the possibility of ordering, from now until 2030, another 15 units of the same type, as part of a tender with a total value of 291.72 million, including the fifth contractual installment.
The vessels, according to the tender documentation, will be coastal units capable of carrying out patrolling and surveillance activities of territorial waters, thus distinct from the larger ones used on the high seas but capable of ‘linking up’ with them to improve the corps’ “regional naval deployment.” In addition to low environmental impact, the two units – it further states – must be equipped with a “hull that is efficient from a hydrodynamic perspective and with excellent seakeeping capabilities.”
More concretely, the extensive and detailed technical specifications (updated to July 2025), define, among other things, that the ships – with a hull made of EN AW-5083 aluminum alloy or superior – must have a length of 25 meters (with a tolerance margin of 7%), two steering stations (i.e., a wheelhouse on the bridge and an external one), a width of 7 meters, a maximum draft of 2 meters, a full load displacement of 85 tonnes, and be able to accommodate a crew of 9 people (for a maximum total of 13 occupants). The specifications also indicate that the ship and its systems must be “designed, built, outfitted, and tested” in accordance with the Rina Fpv (Fast Patrol Vessels) classification rules, with the notations Pc, Croce di Malta, Maritime Police & Patrol, Unrestricted Navigation.
Finally, two configurations are possible, namely one with a pod and an internal combustion engine or with a hybrid pod, while regarding the tender timeline, it is set at a total of 37 months for the two units. The deadline for submitting bids is set for March 9, 2026.
F.M.
