Name Saettia class Built 1984-2009 | Preceded by Kondor I-class (Malta) | |
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Builders Fincantieri to Muggiano and Riva Trigoso (La Spezia) shipyards Operators Italian Coast Guard (Saettia Mk1 and Saettia Mk2)
Iraqi Navy (Saettia Mk4)
Maritime Squadron AFM (Saettia Mk3)
Panamanian Public Forces (Saettia Mk2) Subclasses Malta - P61
Iraq - Saettia MK4 | ||
The Diciotti class is an Italian designed offshore patrol vessel, presently in use with the Italian Coast Guard, Iraqi Navy, Armed Forces of Malta, and Panama SENAN. These ships are designed and built by Fincantieri on the bay of La Spezia to Muggiano and Riva Trigoso shipyards.
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Italian Coast Guard (Saettia Mk1 and Mk2)
Based on the earlier experimental Saettia class (Saettia MK1), the Diciotti class (Saettia MK2) is an advanced and improved version with a longer length, more power and hence greater patrol endurance.
Malta - Maritime Squadron AFM (Saettia Mk3)
In 2003, the Armed Forces of Malta ordered a replacement for the former East German Kondor class patrol boats P29, P30 and P31, due to the increase in flow of refugees from North Africa to Europe.
The design for P61 (Saettia MK3) provides a clear rear half to the ship, providing sufficient space with reinforcement to land a helicopter, up to the size of an AW139. P61 has the capability of carrying out patrols up to Sea State 5, and withstand sea conditions up to Sea State 7. It can launch a rib patrol boat via a rear launch ramp up to Sea State 4. This combination of modifications increases vessel weight to 450-tonnes, and reduces standard crew capacity to 25. Maximum unrefueled patrol length at 20 knots (37 km/h) is 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km).
The €17m Euros contract, financed entirely from the 5th Italo-Maltese Financial Protocol, covered the construction of the vessel together with an associated training and logistic support package. The ship was commissioned on October 1, 2005 and operational from November 5, 2005. P61 acts as the flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta.
Iraq (Saettia MK4)
In 2006, the new Iraqi Navy signed a contract with the Italian Government to purchase 4 modified Diciotti class vessels to patrol its 58kilometre coast line.
The vessels are to be built by Fincantieri at Riva Trigoso, with modifications including increased crew capacity of 38. The contract also comprises the provision of logistical support and crew training with each crew completing a 7-week training course. In cooperation with the Marina Militare (Italian Navy), each commissioning crew is provided with a week’s bridge simulator course at the Academy in Livorno.
In May 2009, the first vessel, Patrol Ship 701 named Fatah (Arabic for Victory), was handed over at the Muggiano, La Spezia shipyard. The crew hand been training since January 2009, and would now be heading for Umm Qasr, a 20 day/5,000 nautical miles journey via the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and Red Sea. There, additional training will be completed, before the vessel takes over duties from the British Royal Marine patrols, who will then revert to a training role of new crew.
The vessels will be used to patrol the exclusive economic zone, control maritime traffic, for search and rescue and fire fighting.
Panama - SENAN, National Air and Navy Service of Panama (Saettia Mk2)
Following an agreement reached in June 2010, Italy delivered CP 902 Ubaldo Diciotti and CP 903 Luigi Dattilo to SENAN - National Air and Navy Service of Panama as P 901 and P 902 in April 2014.