Fincantieri launches coast guard vessel

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TRIESTE, Italy, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- A new multipurpose vessel for Italy's coast guard has been launched in Naples by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

The ship, the first of two for the coast guard, is designed to operate in open seas and will be used for search-and-rescue, fire-fighting missions and to control illegal immigration as well as for more complex naval missions.

Fincantieri said the ships have a top speed of 18 knots, a range of more than 3,000 miles and a length of more than 300 feet.

The crew complement will be 38 people.

Features include four fast rigid-hulled inflatable boats for emergency response and other missions and a helicopter landing pad.

"The ships are also equipped with sophisticated command and control systems and latest-generation radar able to find and follow surface marine pollution and they will have a large stern door to let vehicles enter and be transported on a large working deck," the company said.

"The real forte of these patrol boats is their innovative hybrid propulsion system, involving an auxiliary diesel-electric engine for use at the low and very low speeds needed when performing surveillance and control missions for long periods."