T. Mariotti, historic shipyard of the Genova Industrie Navali Group, was awarded the tender announced by the Italian Naval Armaments Directorate of the General Secretariat of Defense and National Armaments Directorate for the construction of a naval unit of the Navy to support operations underwater, special operations and rescue to the personnel of damaged submarines.
The new unit will be equipped with advanced systems of diving and underwater exploration almost unique in the international panorama, performing the essential function of submarine rescue, consistent with the modernization in place of the underwater fleet of the Armed Force, but also capable of ensuring fundamental support to the Italian Navy. This unit, together with the new U212NFS submarines, will significantly contribute to the surveillance and control of critical undersea infrastructures, all within the broader context of what is nowadays defined as Maritime Security, also from a dual point of view.
The signing of the contract is expected by the summer and its construction will engage the shipyard and local companies for four years, creating a considerable induced activity for the Ligurian realities, both in terms of employment and supply of new products and services, starting from from the planning phase scheduled for next autumn. The cutting of the first sheet is scheduled by the end of 2022.
The ship will be equipped, among other things, with an advanced command and control system, with modern assets for the search and rescue operations of national or allied submarines, a flight deck for helicopters, a complex integrated diving system. deep including moon pools, as well as structures capable of providing first aid surgical medical assistance also in the area of disaster relief in favor of other departments of the State.
Leonardo is involved in the project as supplier of the command and control systems of the unit and two companies from La Spezia, Carlo Agnese and Exa Engineering, for the restructuring of the logistic infrastructures that will house the hyperbaric simulator, a valuable technological asset for training, also an integral part of the supply and which will be located at the La Spezia military arsenal. These versatile operational capabilities can obviously be made available to other administrations / entities for non-military purposes and for the benefit of the community, such as, for example, scientific research in all sectors and the investigation and recovery of artifacts or artifacts found. high seabed.