Italy, Feb. 23 -- Fincantieri has launched the next-generation offshore patrol vessel Ugolino Vivaldi, marking the first delivery milestone in a four-ship programme for the Italian navy, according to a Fincantieri press release. The vessel was launched at the group's Riva Trigoso shipyard and is the first unit under a programme assigned to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, the naval systems integrator jointly owned by Fincantieri with a 51% stake and Leonardo with 49%, under the Naval Armaments Directorate of Italy's National Armaments Directorate. The Vivaldi has an overall length of about 95 metres, a displacement of roughly 2,400 tonnes and accommodation for a crew of 93. The design combines high levels of automation and manoeuvrability, allowin...