Vita-class

The Vita class, also known as the Barzan class or Super Vita, is a class of four fast attack missile boats operated by the Qatari Emiri Navy of Qatar. The Qatari Emiri Navy ordered the vessels in 1992, selecting the British shipbuilder Vosper Thornycroft to construct the fleet. The design is a development of the VT 56m patrol boats previously delivered to the Kenyan and Omani navies.

The Vita class features a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure. Vosper Thornycroft, which later became BAE Systems Surface Ships, supplied the vessel's electrical equipment, management board, electricity transmission system, and countermeasure systems. Propulsion is provided by four MTU 16V595 TE90 diesel engines driving four propellers.

For detection and tracking, the Vita class is equipped with a Thales MW08 3D G-band surveillance radar, a Thales Mirador electro-optical target tracker, a Thales Scout MkII low probability of intercept radar, and a Sperry Marine Bridgemaster-E navigation radar. The onboard command and communications architecture consists of the Tacticos combat management system, an Aeromaritime IFF Mk12, and an ICS 2000 integrated communications system. Electronic warfare capabilities include a DR 3000 ESM system, an Argo AR 900 ESM system, and a single SRBOC decoy launcher.

The armament of the Vita class comprises two Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles, a 30mm Goalkeeper close-in weapon system (CIWS), a single OTO Melara 76mm gun, and a six-cell Mistral surface-to-air missile launcher.

The vessels were delivered to Qatar in two batches. The first two missile boats, QENS Barzan (004) and QENS Huwar (005), arrived in 1996. The second batch, comprising QENS Al Udied (006) and QENS Al Deebeel (007), arrived in 1998. All four vessels of the Vita class remain in active service.