Malta purchases its second offshore patrol vessel.

The Maltese MoD has signed a €35 million contract with Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Vittoria for the building of a second offshore patrol vessel named P71.

OPV P71 (Picture source : The Armed Forces of Malta)

This new offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is expected to complement the P61 (Diciotti-class patrol vessel) and a former Irish Navy OPV. Its construction is scheduled to start in 2019 with delivery expected for late 2020.

This new OPV has to be more endurant, to have a better sea keeping and to be able to provide better living conditions to its crew. And all of that, at lower maintenance costs than the previous OPVs Malta has acquired.