Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Rolls-Royce has been selected to provide engines and water jets to power two of the Italian navy's Intermarine-made high-speed vessels.
The company announced their new contract with the Italian government shortly after Intermarine began constructing the new vessels. The boats will measure 131 feet long and 26 feet wide. Rolls-Royce will provide three MTU 2000 diesel engines and three Kamewa S4 water jets for each vessel.
Once completed, the vessels will be operated by the Italian navy's special forces, known as the Operational Incursion Group, or GOI. The ships are designed to assist operators with maritime traffic control, combating human trafficking, and conducting anti-terror and anti-piracy operations.
"We are proud to have been chosen to provide the best technologies for missions such as these," Rolls-Royce president Don Roussinos said in a press release. "We invest to develop solutions best suited for just such complex naval operations as those undertaken by the GOI."
The agreement marks the latest collaboration between Rolls-Royce and Intermarine, which also includes minesweeper programs such as Mine Countermeasure Vessels, or MCMVs. Rolls-Royce provides stainless steel controllable pitch propellers for the project.
"In Rolls-Royce we have a partner dedicated to understanding the needs of our client and capable of very competitive solutions," Intermarine CEO Livio Corghi added.
