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Fincantieri launches fourth Al Zubarah corvette for Qatar

Sumaysimah (F 104) pictured at its launch ceremony on 29 March. (Fincantieri)

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has launched the fourth Al Zubarah-class corvette on order for Qatar.

The 107 m ship, named Sumaysimah (F 104) , was launched during a ceremony held at Fincantieri's Muggiano shipyard in La Spezia on 29 March.

Sumaysimah is the final ship of the class to be built by Fincantieri under a contract awarded in 2016. The multiship order, worth EUR4 billion (USD4.47 billion), also includes the delivery of a landing platform dock (LPD) and two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).

Construction of the first-of-class, Al Zubarah (F 101), commenced in July 2018 with a view to deliver all four ships by 2024. Al Zubarah was handed over and commissioned on 28 October 2021. The second ship, Damsah (F 102), was launched in February 2021, followed by the third ship Al-Khor (F 103) in September 2021.

The Al Zubarah corvette design is a derivative of the Italian Comandante class. The ships displace around 3,250 tonnes fully loaded, and are equipped with combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion package to convey a maximum speed of 28 kt, with a standard range of 3,000 n miles at 15 kt. The ships can carry a complement of 122 personnel on board.

The flight deck is sized to carry one NHIndustries NH90 helicopter, and the ships feature a stern ramp to launch rigid-hull inflatable boats.

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