{"id":17972,"date":"2018-03-19T18:56:34","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T18:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/19\/steel-cutting-to-begin-for-qatar-navy-ships-in-july-delivery-in-2021\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:36:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:36:05","slug":"steel-cutting-to-begin-for-qatar-navy-ships-in-july-delivery-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2018\/03\/19\/steel-cutting-to-begin-for-qatar-navy-ships-in-july-delivery-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Steel cutting to begin for Qatar Navy ships in July, delivery in 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DOHA, Qatar \u2015 The first steel cutting of the Qatari Emiri Navy\u2019s corvettes is set to take place in July while the delivery of the first two units \u2015 one corvette and one offshore patrol vessel \u2015 is expected in 2021, according to the vice president of the Qatar program at Fincantieri\u2019s naval vessels business unit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are very excited about the very first steal cutting due later this July. We are currently working on the corvettes design phase and are then planning to enter the OPV\u2019s design phase, [of] which first steel-cutting is due next year,\u201d Davide Traverso said March 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In August, Qatar confirmed its order for seven vessels from Italian shipyard Fincantieri, following the signing of a preliminary contract in June 2016. The deal consists of four corvettes, each more than 100 meters in length, two offshore patrol vessels and one landing platform dock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the design phases for the corvettes and the OPVs, the company will focus the LPDs, Traverso said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A model of the corvette for Qatar’s Navy at Fincantieri\u2019s booth at DIMDEX on March 14, 2018. (Chirine Mouchantaf\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the biggest turnkey program we have ever had in terms of export market in the Arab region,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is worth $3.8 billion, so our effort is not only focused on the design and construction phases, but also on training activities, integrated logistics support and in-service support up to 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full program \u2015 including MBDA\u2019s coastal defense systems and land-based missile stations \u2015 will cost more than $5 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the units are being constructed in Genoa, Italy, the shipyard \u201cwill definitely help grow the Qatari naval business by bringing up ship-maintenance infrastructure to the Gulf country,\u201d Traverso noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\t