New construction of auxiliary vessels for the Marina Militare
When naval logistics operates in critical environments, every system on board has to work. Always.
The Marina Militare is adding two new auxiliary support vessels to its fleet. Platforms built by Mariotti Shipyard under the MTC/MTF programme, designed to operate in mission scenarios where the continuity of on-board systems determines the operational capability of the entire fleet around them.
En este tipo de programas, los requisitos técnicos no son orientativos. Son el punto de partida de cada decisión de ingeniería, de cada configuración de equipo y de cada documento que acompaña al suministro. Y la elección del fabricante no responde solo al producto, responde a la capacidad de gestionar la complejidad técnica y documental que un programa naval de esta escala exige.
FJ was selected as the manufacturer of the integrated valve and control solutions for both vessels.
A supply designed to integrate, not just to be installed
The scope of supply for each of the two platforms included SAVAL manual valves, electrically motorised valves with PRIOR control system and a quick-closing valve system.
But the supply does not begin with equipment delivery. It begins with engineering. Every valve, every actuator and every component of the control system was configured specifically for this programme, adapted to the vessel architecture and validated to ensure mechanical and electrical compatibility with the rest of the on-board systems.
Trabajar con fabricación propia en los tres elementos del suministro; válvulas manuales, válvulas motorizadas con sistema de control y sistema de cierre rápido, permitió algo que con múltiples proveedores es difícil de garantizar: coherencia técnica real entre todos los componentes del sistema. No solo compatibilidad declarada en papel, sino coherencia comprobada entre válvula, accionamiento, sistema de control y sistema asociado, bajo una única responsabilidad técnica y con documentación completa conforme a los estándares de la Marina Militare.
Technical coordination with Mariotti Shipyard: the work that never shows but holds everything together
In a new naval construction, equipment supply and vessel construction are not parallel processes that come together at the end. They are interdependent processes that must be coordinated from the outset to ensure that integration works as it should.
Technical coordination with Mariotti Shipyard was continuous throughout the definition, manufacturing and integration phases. That proximity to the shipyard made it possible to adapt configurations to the specific requirements of the programme without compromising construction timelines, resolve technical interfaces in real time and ensure that every piece of equipment arrived on site at the right moment and in the right conditions for the construction process.
Throughout the project, functional verifications of manual and motorised valves were carried out, along with validation of the PRIOR control system and its electrical interfaces with the vessel architecture, testing of the quick-closing valve system and full documentary coordination with the shipyard, ensuring compliance with Marina Militare technical standards at every stage.
The value of integrating under a single technical responsibility
In high-demand naval programmes, managing multiple suppliers for the same system generates critical interfaces that are, more often than not, the source of the most difficult problems to resolve: incompatibilities that only surface during integration, unclear responsibilities when an issue arises, fragmented documentation that complicates validations.
Integrating manual valves, electrically motorised valves with PRIOR control system and quick-closing valve system under a single technical responsibility eliminates those friction points from the start. The result is a technically coherent system with full traceability from manufacturing through to commissioning, unified documentation that simplifies validations with the shipyard and the end operator, and a stronger foundation for maintenance and lifecycle support of the equipment on board.
In auxiliary support vessels, where the continuous availability of systems is part of the mission itself, that robustness has real operational value.
FJ in international naval programmes
The MTC/MTF Programme adds to a consolidated track record for FJ in new naval construction and modernisation projects for navies and international operators. A track record built on the same foundation in every project: in-house manufacturing, engineering adapted to the specific requirements of each programme and direct coordination with the shipyard or prime contractor as the sole technical point of responsibility for the supply.
It is a way of working that, in high-demand environments such as naval defence, makes the difference between delivering equipment and delivering a solution that works where and how it needs to.
