Helsinki – A contract has been signed between the Finnish Navy and Intermarine S.p.A., a company of the IMMI Group, to build three mine countermeasure vessels.
The ceremony was attended by the Finnish Navy representatives, Commander in Chief Vice Admiral Hans Holstrom and Captain Jaakko Savsaari, Chief of the Materials’ Division. The Italians were represented by Roberto Colaninno, President of IMMSI S.p.A., and Gianclaudio Neri and Marco Ragazzini (President and Managing Director respectively of Rodriquez Cantieri Navali).
The order, amounting to €244.8 million, is one of the most remarkable contracts obtained by Intermarine S.p.A. at international level during the last twenty years, foreseeing – beyond supplying three mine countermeasure vessels to the Finnish Navy – the logistic support by the Italian shipyard in the fields of documents, training, spare parts and specific equipment.
The President of Group IMMSI, Roberto Colaninno, stated: "I am especially proud of this result, which underlines the advanced technology of Intermarine in a field where it has the leadership at international level. [By] appointing Intermarine, the Finnish Navy acquires – for the very first time from the end of the [Second] World War – vessels of defence produced abroad.
"On the basis of the contract of supply signed today, the expectations to complete the turnaround process of the Group Rodriquez Cantieri Navali – which during the last few months received orders amounting to over €500 billion – will be seen in the 2007 turnover."
The start-up of the vessels’ building – made of composite materials with a length of 52.45m – is foreseen by May 2007. Two vessels will be built and completely furnished in Sarzana, while the third one will be built by Intermarine but furnished and tested at the Finnish shipyard of Aker Yards. Delivery is anticipated to be completed by 2010-2012.
The Finnish Navy will use the vessels to guarantee the safety and inspection of some of the most important national routes. The vessels will be equipped with some sophisticated systems similar to those used by the European Union and NATO Navy, and will also guarantee the Finnish Navy the possibility of taking part in international peace-keeping missions.
With this contract, the number of Navies – including the Italian, the American and the Australian ones – to which Intermarine has supplied this kind of vessel reaches seven, thus confirming its absolute leadership at international level. In fact, in the last year Intermarine has built (directly or with licences granted to foreign partners), 38 mine countermeasure vessels, in seven different types, for six different Navies.