3 July, 2015 – Fincantieri has been awarded a contract with the Bangladesh Coast Guard for the supply of four Class “Minerva” corvettes of the Italian Navy to modernize and transform into Offshore Patrol and integrated logistics support Vessels. These units will be disused by the Italian Navy to be replaced with new ships, according to the fleet renewal program. They were sold by the Italian Navy with a contract signed by the Naval Armament Directorate and the same Fincantieri. Two ships, “Minerva” and “Sibilla”, on May 14 in Augusta, in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral De Giorgi, had their last lowering of the flag ceremony. On 29 June, the two units arrived in the Fincantieri area Genoa for renovation and conversion works that will be completed at the military arsenal of La Spezia. Afterwards, the units will be delivered by Fincantieri to the Bangladesh Coast Guard. Paolo Frino, Fincantieri’s Director for After Sales and Services of Naval Vessel, and Majedul Mohammad Haque, Director of Planning and Acquisitions for the BCG, signed the contract during a ceremony that took place in the presence of Mario Palma, Italy’s ambassador to Dhaka, Mozammel Haque Khan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (from which depends the BCG), Massimo De Benedictis, Regional Commercial Manager of Fincantieri, and Rear Admiral Mohammad Makbul Hossain, Director General of BCG. (Red)
