Former Italian Cassiopea-class patrol vessel Libra becomes Albania’s strongest naval ship.

On April 8, 2025, at the port of Durrës, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the formal launch of bilateral naval cooperation with Italy, marked by two significant milestones: the signing of a Letter of Intent for the transfer of the Italian Navy’s Libra (P402), a Cassiopea-class offshore patrol vessel, to the Albanian Naval Force, and the establishment of a strategic joint venture between the Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri and the Albanian firm KAYO. These agreements were presented as part of a broader strategy to deepen defense cooperation, enhance naval capabilities, and strengthen industrial partnerships between Albania and Italy.
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Renamed with the pennant number P133 and bearing the Albanian flag, the Libra will become the most capable vessel in Albania’s naval fleet. (Picture source: Marina Militare)

The offshore patrol vessel Libra (P402) was officially handed over by Italy to Albania during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Rama, Albanian Defence Minister Niko Peleshi, and Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto. The ship docked in Durrës after departing Italy accompanied by the iconic training ship Amerigo Vespucci. Minister Crosetto emphasized the strategic value of the gesture, describing it as a reflection of mutual trust and deepening defense collaboration between two NATO member states. Prime Minister Rama welcomed the transfer as a turning point in bilateral relations, describing the evolving ties as a transformation of an ancient friendship into a strategic partnership based on trust and sharing.

The Libra, formerly operated by the Italian Navy, is one of four Cassiopea-class vessels constructed by Fincantieri at the Muggiano shipyards in La Spezia. This class was developed by the Italian Navy in the early 1980s to replace older Albatros-class corvettes primarily used for fisheries patrol and other maritime enforcement tasks. Conceived alongside the Minerva-class corvettes—intended for fully combatant coastal escort missions—the Cassiopea-class was designed as a simpler platform for offshore patrol in low-threat environments. Authorization for the construction of four units, out of a planned eight, was granted in December 1982 under Law No. 979, known as the "Law on the Protection of the Sea," which aimed to improve Italy's maritime surveillance and environmental protection capabilities.

Funding was provided by the Ministry of Merchant Marine. Construction contracts were issued in December 1986, and work began in 1987 at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard. The vessels were built to commercial shipbuilding standards, with equipment and systems sourced from decommissioned Bergamini-class frigates (the version that entered service in 1961, not the more modern FREMM-based variant). The first ship entered service in 1989. Two additional ships were later canceled in 1991 before construction began. All four were delivered between 1989 and 1992 and were designed to perform a range of tasks, including fisheries patrol, pollution monitoring, search and rescue, and maritime surveillance within Italy’s Exclusive Economic Zone, either independently or in coordination with other naval and air assets.

Delivered to the Italian Navy in 1991, the Libra conducted humanitarian missions, participated in Mediterranean rescue operations, and was the first Italian warship commanded by a woman before its transfer to Albania in 2025. (Picture source: Marina Militare)

The Libra, launched in July 1988 and commissioned in March 1991, is a heavy offshore patrol vessel built by Fincantieri in Muggiano. It measures 79.8 meters in length, has a beam of 11.8 meters, and displaces 1,500 tons at full load. It is powered by two GMT BL-230.16M diesel engines producing a combined 5,507 kilowatts, enabling a top speed of 21 knots and a range of up to 3,300 nautical miles at 17 knots. The ship is crewed by 6 officers and 54 enlisted personnel and has an endurance of up to 35 days. It is armed with a single OTO Melara 76/62 mm Allargato gun, two OTO Melara 25/80 mm guns, and two 7.62 mm MG 42/59 machine guns. A flight deck and fixed hangar allow for operations with an Agusta-Bell AB-212 ASW helicopter.

Libra’s electronic suite includes an SPN-748(V)2 navigation radar,an  SPS-702(V)2 surface search radar, an SPG-70 (RTN 10X) fire control radar, and a GEM Elettronica Gemini-DB navigation radar. These systems were modernized between 2012 and 2014, during which the Cassiopea-class ships were retrofitted with the Selex ES Janus-N IR optronic system and the Gemini-DB radar, beginning with Libra. Originally designed for missions such as fisheries patrol, maritime surveillance, pollution control, and search and rescue, Libra was built to mercantile standards but equipped with military systems transferred from the decommissioned Bergamini-class. Among its notable missions under Italian service, Libra provided humanitarian aid to Libya during the 2011 crisis and took part in Operation Mare Nostrum from 2013 to 2014. It was also featured in a docufiction on Mediterranean search and rescue operations.

The ship is now expected to serve in the Albanian Naval Force for up to 15 more years following general servicing. Renamed with the pennant number P133 and bearing the Albanian flag, Libra will become the most capable vessel in Albania’s naval fleet. Counter Admiral Adnan Agastra, head of the Albanian Navy, stated that the vessel will operate not only in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas but also further afield, supporting NATO missions across the Mediterranean. Its arrival aligns with Albania’s broader efforts to meet NATO capability standards since joining the alliance in 2009.

In parallel with the transfer, a memorandum was signed between Fincantieri and KAYO, a Tirana-based company, to initiate a strategic industrial partnership. This cooperation aims to support the development of Albania’s domestic shipbuilding and naval industry. Defence Minister Crosetto emphasized that such collaboration with trusted allies is especially vital in times of geopolitical complexity. The joint venture is viewed as a step toward expanding Albania’s defense industrial base and aligning more closely with NATO’s strategic objectives. The event also underscored Albania’s continuing strategic importance to Italy and the European Union. In recent years, Italy has supported Albania’s efforts to enhance its defense infrastructure, including the transformation of Kucovë airport into a NATO technical base. Italy and Albania also signed a five-year agreement in November 2023 to open two asylum-processing centers in Albania, now part of broader EU migration management initiatives. The close relationship between the two countries is built on historical ties and reinforced through defense and economic cooperation.

The Libra is armed with a single OTO Melara 76/62 mm Allargato gun, two OTO Melara 25/80 mm guns, and two 7.62 mm MG 42/59 machine guns. (Picture source: Marina Militare)