Intermarine has begun fiberglass hull lamination for the Italian Navy’s second New-Generation Minehunter/Coastal (NGM/C) vessel at its Sarzana shipyard.
The milestone is part of a 2024 contract awarded by the Directorate of Naval Armaments for a joint venture between Intermarine and Leonardo for the construction of five advanced mine countermeasure platforms across littoral domains.
The 1.6-billion-euro ($1.8 billion) program covers logistics support, with options to reach up to 2.6 billion euros ($3 billion).
‘New Standard’
Italy’s future 63-meter (207-foot), 1,300-ton NGM/C vessels feature advanced composite material hulls designed to withstand underwater shock waves while maintaining low acoustic and magnetic signatures.
Its architecture augments a manned-unmanned approach, enabling the use of autonomous systems to execute operations throughout mine-congested zones.
Beyond their primary clearing function, the multimission NGM/C ships will conduct seabed surveillance to protect critical subsea infrastructure, including energy pipelines, power lines, and telecommunications cables.
During the lamination ceremony, attended by Italy’s Director of Naval Armaments Chief Inspector Admr. Cristiano Nervi, officials also unveiled the lead vessel’s hull, which has already entered the outfitting phase ahead of its planned 2028 entry into service.
“Work on the second hull will follow the same stages as the first unit, assuring the Navy of a program designed to provide Italy with… a highly efficient integrated solution designed to offer greater safety, rapid response and an operational capability extending across the entire underwater dimension, setting a new standard for systems to counter the threat posed by naval mines,” Intermarine said.
