Italy advances naval defense with new minehunter and submarine maintenance

The Italian Navy and its industrial partners are advancing several maritime defense projects in the La Spezia region. At the Intermarine shipyard in Sarzana, construction has begun on the hull of the second next-generation CNG minehunter. This program, a collaboration between Intermarine and Leonardo, aims to deliver five CNG/Coastal minehunters, with an option for three more. The vessels will feature composite fiberglass hulls to reduce magnetic signatures and will be capable of autonomous and unmanned operations to protect critical subsea energy infrastructure.

Simultaneously, the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano has completed a three-week maintenance period for the Salvatore Todaro, the lead ship of the U212A class submarine. The maintenance work, conducted in a floating dock, was part of a larger effort in July where the facility managed concurrent work on three U212A class submarines. The Salvatore Todaro is equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology and is designed for low acoustic signatures and extended submerged autonomy.