Italian company M23 S.R.L. is building two submarines for the Qatari Emiri Navy (QEN). Although it has been alluded to in announcements relating to the larger Italian naval deal with Qatar, details have only slowly come out. At the time of writing the exact model of submarine has not been revealed. However, the hints have combined to paint a decent picture (see artist’s impression above).
The deal was originally reported in February 2020 as relating to Italy’s main defense shipbuilder, Fincantieri. A MoU (memorandum of understanding) was signed with Fincantieri in January mentions the “the supply of cutting-edge naval vessels and submarines.“
It has since been reported, in export related documents, at EUR 190 million. This covers two submarines and a training system. I suspect that some level of training and ongoing support may also be included. Significantly M23 S.R.L. is mentioned instead of Fincantieri.
The design is described as MIDGET AUTONOMUS SUBMARINE P / N M232017023. There may be a strong hint in this number, and also the company’s name: it may be 23 meters long. We can also infer that it was designed in 2017. It is known to have a 200 kw diesel engine, 70 kw electric motor and sonar.
M23 S.R.L. is based at a factory in Ciserano, Bergamo, Italy. This exact site was previously the location of GSE Trieste, a highly regarded Italian submarine builder. M23 is a recent spin-off of GSE and has been reported as having 22 employees. The new company is associated with Qatari entities.