Rolls-Royce is under contract now to supply diesel marine engines and waterjets to power and propel two new, high-speed watercraft (“UNPAV”) to be used by the Italian Navy’s Operational Incursion Group (GOI). Rolls did not indicate the value of its contract.
Designed by Immsi Group’s Intermarine division, with construction recently started at its shipyard in Sarzana, the UNPAV vessels measure 40x8 m (LxW). They are powered by three MTU 2000 series diesel engines connecting to three Kamewa S4 water jets, which Rolls-Royce will supply.
Don Roussinos, president of Rolls-Royce’s Naval business, said: “We are proud to have been chosen to provide the best technologies for missions such as these. We invest to develop solutions best suited for just such complex naval operations as those undertaken by the GOI.”
GOI is a “special forces unit” called upon in crisis situations of strategic importance. The UNPAV will be used to strengthen maritime traffic control, combat human trafficking, undertake counter terror and anti-piracy operations, and evacuate personnel from crisis areas.
Rolls-Royce also is collaborating with Intermarine concerning minesweepers, for which Rolls-Royce noted it supplies “super-silent stainless steel controllable pitch propellers” from Kamewa, driven by MTU engines designed to be anti-magnetic and highly shock-resistant. Rolls-Royce also will supply its Tenfjord type steering gears for those vessels.
