The Flagship of the Republic of Malta: Offshore Patrol Vessel P71 to Celebrate the Entry into Service of the New Flagship of the Maltese Armed Forces
On March 22nd, in the AFM naval base in Valletta, the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Security, Reforms and Justice of the Republic of Malta, Byron Camilleri, the Minister of Economy, the European Funds, and the Territorial of the Republic of Malta, Silvio Schembri, the Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds, Chris Bonett, the Head of the Maltese Armed Forces, Brigadier Clinton O’Neill, the Italian Ambassador in Valletta, Fabrizio Romano, and by the Commander of the Republic of Malta’s Naval Brigade, Luigi Duò, the official delivery ceremony of the patrol vessel took place.
The 75-meter-long unit, built in the Adriatic shipyard, will be used in coastal surveillance operations, extending patrolling in the high seas and Search and Rescue operations. The OPV P71 is the result of the order, with a total value of over 50 million euros, obtained through participation in an international public tendering process and financed (for 75%) by the EU and under the Internal Security Fund (ISF) 2014-2020, the fund set up by the Union for the implementation of the internal security strategy, law enforcement cooperation, and the management of the external borders of the European Union.
The Maltese Armed Forces P71 Offshore Patrol Vessel
Luigi Duò, Commander of the Republic of Malta’s Naval Brigade, during the ceremony, highlighted the commonalities and the representative roles of the institutions present and their responsibilities in the operational field. He said, “The vessel now supplied to the Maltese Armed Forces, thanks to its design qualities, technical and equipment, will be able to represent and interpret the operational needs of the same type. Honored by the relationships of esteem and cooperation built up over the years and which began with the delivery of the two Military SAR units, we look to the future with hope, certainty, and trust, confident that the P71 unit, built upon high reliability, will be able to respond to all the specific tasks for which it was conceived and created. We just have to wish the men and women of the Armed Forces good luck.”
The Naval Brigade Vittoria has developed itself to become an industrial reality of international reference in the field of international reference for the implementation of international reference for the implementation of the activities, despite the adversities, continuing to build up. About 300 workers, among direct and indirect employees, contribute to this success. As a result, a broad experience in patrol boats and fast interceptors is acquired, which begins with the delivery of the first Military SAR units and is confirmed by the recent delivery to foreign customers: Coast Guards of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Libya, Malta, Cyprus, Tunisia, Greece, and many others.
The Maltese Armed Forces P71 Offshore Patrol Vessel
The Vittoria shipyard has developed and adapted itself to become a construction reality capable of accommodating and guaranteeing the construction of boats and craft that, with quality and reliability, allow, with quality and reliability, the construction of boats and craft that, with quality and reliability, allow to meet the needs of Coast Guards. Finally, in the field of defense, where there is a strong experience of redundancy in the most challenging conditions. In recent years, a hardened hull has been built for various clients: Coast Guards of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Libya, Malta, Cyprus, Tunisia, Greece, and many others.
