Italy’s Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with shipbuilder T. Mariotti to construct two new ships for auxiliary maritime operations.
The Coastal Motor Transport and Lighthouse Servicing (MTC/MTF) ships will be used for solid and liquid transport missions, replacing the Italian Navy’s Gorgona- and Ponza-class transport and logistics ships from the 1980s.
The vessels will also be used in maintenance and maritime signaling operations for the navy’s Lighthouses Service.
T. Mariotti said that the ships will have a “high degree of flexibility in use and modularity,” allowing them to deploy equipment modules for varying missions.
Both MTC/MTF ships will be constructed at T. Mariotti’s shipyard in Genoa.
Mariotti and the Navy
In February, the Italian Navy contracted T. Mariotti to develop the Special and Diving Operations – Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SuRS) for special underwater operations including distressed submarine rescue, as well as underwater infrastructure protection in the Mediterranean Sea.
The deal saw the shipbuilders collaborating with Kongsberg to fit hybrid propulsion pods into the ships for optimized speed.
The SDO-SuRS contract was the first military order won by the shipbuilder, consolidating its presence in Italy’s defense sector.
