Piloda Defense, the defense unit of HAVELSAN, VN Maritime Technologies and Piloda Shipyard, started working in line with their cooperation in Italy. According to the joint statement, within the scope of the agreement announced in Naples in March, the platforms will be produced in Piloda and VN Maritime facilities. Operational activities will be carried out at facilities in Naples, Brindisi and Torre Annunziata. The cooperation constitutes the new phase of the previously initiated industrial partnership between the parties.
Piloda Shipyard and VN Maritime started the joint production of 40 15-meter marine vessels worth a total of 159.2 million euros for the Italian Coast Guard in 2025. With the new agreement, the partnership is expanded to include hybrid and unmanned platforms, while the Italian Financial Police Guardia di Finanza and other public and security institutions stand out as potential end users. At the center of the agreement is the hybrid platform concept that can operate in manned, unmanned or mixed mode without requiring structural changes.
Thanks to this structure, it is aimed that the platforms can be used in a wide range of missions, from autonomous surveillance and coordinated herd missions to patrol, search and rescue, personnel and cargo transportation and intervention activities at sea. It is stated that the hybrid configuration also meets a concrete regulatory need, since the international legislation on fully autonomous ships is not yet fully settled.
This paves the way for Italian institutions to use the platforms directly under current conditions by deploying personnel when necessary. It was noted that a functional prototype was previously presented and tested to corporate delegations at the Seafuture 2025 fair held at the La Spezia Military Arsenal Naval Base. The platforms are reportedly based on the patented ÖK Hull hull technology licensed from Icelandic company Rafnar and developed by VN Maritime.
This body structure can reduce the impact of impact by up to 95 percent compared to traditional V-type bodies. This offers advantages such as extending platform life, reducing maintenance needs and providing higher comfort for personnel and equipment. In addition, the hull stability ensures uninterrupted data flow of underwater sensors, contributing to the more efficient operation of systems such as cameras, projectors and electro-optical sensors without the need for additional stabilizers.
Joint production target in Italy According to the agreement, Piloda Defense will serve as the production center and system integrator in Italy. HAVELSAN will ensure the integration of advanced technologies such as command control, autonomous navigation and sensor fusion. VN Maritime will adapt its offshore platform design and high-performance hull technology to the needs of Italian institutions. It was reported that the parties aim to sign the first purchase order in the first half of 2026.
Within the scope of cooperation, it is planned to develop platform variants in different sizes and configurations that can be used in the fields of defense, maritime security and environmental monitoring. It was noted that the ultimate goal is to strengthen the fleets of Italian institutions with new generation platforms to be produced on national territory. Source: AA
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