The third of the Al Zubarah Class of four vessels ordered by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition program, QENS AL KHOR F 103 was seen going to her country.
The Al Zubarah class or Doha class is a class of corvettes built by Fincantieri for the Qatari Emiri Navy. Fincantieri showcased for the first time the multi-role air defence corvettes for the Qatari Emiri Navy during DIMDEX 2018. In August 2017, Qatar officially announced for the order of the four ships of the class after signing the contract in June 2016. The Al Zubarah Class corvettes, designed consistent with the RINAMIL rules, will be highly flexible and capable of fulfilling different kinds of tasks, from surveillance with sea rescue capacities to being fighting vessels.
She was ordered on 3rd June 2016, launched on 30th September, 2021 and commissioned a year later on 22nd December 2022.
The Doha Class corvettes will primary serve for air defense missions and therefore will have a very substantial firepower for their size. They will be 107 meters long, 14.70 meters wide, and equipped with a combined diesel and diesel plant (CODAD), with a maximum speed of 28 knots. The units will be able to accommodate 112 persons on board. Furthermore, the corvettes will be capable of operating high-speed boats such as RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern. The flight deck and hangar are sized for hosting one NH90 helicopter.
