FINCANTIERI: LAUNCHING OF THE “ROMEO ROMEI“ SUBMARINE

USPA NEWS - The new submarine follows the “Pietro Venuti“ launched in Muggiano (Italy) last October -The submarine has been titled at Romeo Romei, Corvette Captain and Gold Medal of Military Valour awarded posthumously.

Today, at the presence of the Minister of Justice Andrea Orlando, the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano (Italy) has hosted the launching ceremony for the “Romeo Romei“ submarine, the last of the four U212A “Todaro“ class twin units ordered to Fincantieri by the Central Unit for Naval Armament ““ NAVARM for the Italian Navy. The ceremony was attended among others by the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, while Fincantieri was represented by Giuseppe Bono and Vincenzo Petrone, respectively CEO and Chairman, political and local civil authorities.

After the launching, outfitting works will be continued on the unit at the Integrated Naval shipyard in Muggiano, leading to its delivery scheduled in the second half of 2016. The submarine “Romeo Romei“, as its twin unit “Pietro Venuti“ launched last October at the Muggiano shipyard, will feature highly innovative technological solutions. It will be entirely built with amagnetic material, using the most modern silencing techniques to reduce its acoustic signature. “Romei“ has a surface displacement of 1,509 tonnes, an overall length of 55.9 meters, a maximum diameter of 7 meters, and can exceed 16 knots underwater. It has a 27-person crew.

The “Romei“ is the 102nd submarine built in the shipyard of Muggiano since 1907, when the Italian Royal Navy´s “Foca“ submarine was launched. Since then, this shipyard stands out for naval vessels building, not only for the Italian Navy but also worldwide (Brasil, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark). The “Romei“ is part of the second pair of submarines to be built in chronological order, and follows about one year the “Pietro Venuti“, currently under construction at the same shipyard in Muggiano. In the Navy´s fleet these vessels, whose delivery is scheduled in 2015 and 2016, will replace two submarines of the “Sauro“ class (third series), built in the late 1980s.

The submarine building programme is the continuation of the project launched in 1994 in cooperation with the German Submarine Consortium, which has already led to the construction in the past years of six vessels for Germany and two for Italy ““ the “Todaro“ and the “Scir蓝. These latter units, delivered by Fincantieri in 2006 and 2007 respectively, are already operating successfully as part of the Italian Navy´s fleet. Like the other vessels in the series, the “Romei“ features highly innovative technological solutions. It is built entirely of amagnetic material, using the most modern silencing techniques to reduce its acoustic signature.

Additionally, it is equipped with a silent propulsion system based on fuel cell technology, producing energy through an oxygen-hydrogen reaction independently from external oxygen, ensuring a considerably higher submerged than the conventional battery-based systems. It also features a fully integrated electro-acoustic and weapon-control system, as well as a modern platform automation system.