The new M23 C-Series mini-submarine, currently under construction for the Qatari Navy, was photographed for the first time in Italy.

Sources at Naval News reported that the submarine, captured on camera during a sea trial, is being tested off the coast near La Spezia, Italy.

Details about Qatar’s submarines were unveiled at the MSPO international defense industry exhibition held last week in Poland.

Qatar has ordered two mini-submarines from the Italian company M23 SRL, based in Bergamo. A scale model of the C-Series project was showcased at the exhibition for the first time.

The contract was signed in January 2020 as part of a larger deal involving Italy’s main defense shipbuilder, Fincantieri.

The deal included the supply of new warships and submarines, but details about the submarines have been revealed only now.

The mini-submarines are built in Ciserano, an inland location 100 km east of Milan, and then transported by road 250 kilometers to the coast.

The physical constraints of the Ciserano plant, along with the need for road transport, limit the size of the submarines. The completed submarine for the Qatari Navy features a smooth superstructure.

This submarine is 23 meters long and 5 meters wide, capable of diving to a depth of 200 meters and reaching speeds of up to 12 knots. It has a crew of six.

It also provides for the accommodation of six passengers, for example, combat swimmers who can leave the submarine through a special hatch for special operations.

Despite the miniaturized design, the C-Series submarines are equipped with two torpedo tubes designed to launch 533mm heavy torpedoes. The submarines’ arsenal also includes Murena sea mines.

In 2023, Italian Fincantieri completed the delivery of four Al Zubarah-class corvettes to Qatar.