The Diciotti class is an Italian-designed offshore patrol vessel, presently in use with the Italian Coast Guard, Iraqi Navy, Armed Forces of Malta and Panama SENAN. These ships are designed and built by Fincantieri on the bay of La Spezia to Muggiano and Riva Trigoso shipyards. Italian Coast Guard (Saettia Mk1 and Mk2) Based on the earlier experimental Saettia class (Saettia MK1), the Diciotti class (Saettia MK2) is an advanced and improved version with a longer length, more power and hence greater patrol endurance. Malta - Maritime Squadron AFM (Saettia Mk3) In 2003, the Armed Forces of Malta ordered a replacement for the former East German Kondor class patrol boats P29, P30 and P31, due to the increase in flow of refugees from North Africa to Europe. The design for P61 (Saettia MK3) provides a clear rear half to the ship, providing sufficient space with reinforcement to land a helicopter, up to the size of an AW139. P61 has the capability of carrying out patrols up to Sea State 5, and withstand sea conditions up to Sea State 7. It can launch a rib patrol boat via a rear launch ramp up to Sea State 4. This combination of modifications increases vessel weight to 450-tonnes, and reduces standard crew capacity to 25. Maximum unrefueled patrol range at is . The €17m Euros contract, financed entirely from the 5th Italo-Maltese Financial Protocol, covered the construction of the vessel together with an associated training and logistic support package. The ship was commissioned on October 1, 2005 and operational from November 5, 2005. P61 acts as the flagship of the Armed Forces of Malta. The vessel has been updated in 2017 with overhaul and engine refit (Caterpillar engines replace Isotta Fraschini engines), by Fincantieri, to a cost around €7 million. On 5 June 2019 the P61 rescued the lives of 147 migrants after they‘ve been sending distress calls in the Maltese SAR area. In total AFM vessels rescued 370 immigrants on one of the busiest days in recent history for the navy. The other migrants were rescued by the P52 and the P21. On 11 June 2019, P61 rescued 97 migrants and brought them safely to Malta. This rescue comes less than a week after 147 migrants were rescued by this same vessel. On 24 August 2019, P61 brought to Malta a group of migrants totalling 356. This happened after Malta finally decided