Qatar: New ships for the peninsula

The Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced at the beginning of July that it had handed over the second OPV of the "Musherib" class to the Qatar Ministry of Defence at a ceremony in La Spezia.

Like the type ship handed over in January, the "Sheraouh" is a short 63-metre-long palttform with a speed of 30 knots and a crew of 38 that can be used flexibly for various tasks, from guard boat to combat ship - which roughly means that it sails as a fast guard boat and has real weapons on board if required and available. These would be Exocet anti-ship missiles and VL-MICA anti-aircraft missiles.

Full shopping basket

"Damsah", the second frigate of the "Doha" class for Qatar, being launched. Photo: Fincantieri

These two ocean-going patrol vessels are part of a €4 billion package that also includes four corvettes with a length of over 100 metres and a full-size LPD. "Damsah", the second corvette of the "Doha" class, was delivered to Qatar in La Spezia in April of this year, while the keel laying ceremony for the dock landing ship in the size of the Italian "San Giorgio" class took place a month later in Palermo.

"San Giusto", fourth landing ship of the Iatlian "San Giorgio" class. Photo: Marina Militare

Large railway station

His Excellency Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the peninsula state, attended the celebrations at the construction yard together with Lorenzo Guerini, Italy's Minister of Defence. In addition, of course, the heads of the diplomatic missions and the military of both countries.

Design and silhouette

Qatari OPV "Musherib" after delivery by Italy. Photo: Fincantieri

Boats and ships with integrated sensor masts that look like the cones of the old "shell games" are increasingly making up the silhouette of modern combat vessels. The trend is certainly continuing with ingenious reflection reduction and minimisation of crews - but it certainly takes some getting used to. "Fierce-looking factor" was once a topic in shipbuilding lessons at naval academy - today, a futuristic-looking, detail-reduced outer skin is necessary.