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.

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.

This happened after Malta finally decided to give a safe port to these souls that were aboard the NGO vessel Ocean Viking for 14 consecutive days.

[10] On 13 September 2023, P61 left Malta for Libya on an aid mission after the catastrophic damage caused to the coastal city of Derna by Medicane Daniel.

[13] In 2006, the new Iraqi Navy signed a contract with the Italian Government to purchase four modified Diciotti class vessels to patrol its 58 kilometre coast line.

In cooperation with the Marina Militare (Italian Navy), each commissioning crew is provided with a week’s bridge simulator course at the Naval Academy in Livorno.

The crew had been training since January 2009, and now headed for Umm Qasr, a 20 day/5,000 nautical mile journey via the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and Red Sea.