Air defence and electronic warfare upgrades on the first of the Horizon-class frigates operated by the French and Italian navies will begin next month.
The Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) programme for the Franco-Italian warships is being run by the European joint procurement and through-life management organisation OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement).
OCCAR has announced contracts were signed last week enabling improvement works to start on the four warships. Italy’s two frigates will be first in line: upgrades to Andrea Doria are expected to be completed by the end of 2027, with Caio Duilio following suit and ready in mid-2029.
MLU works on the first French Navy warship, Forbin, are anticipated to be completed by the end of 2029, with works to the final vessel, Chevalier Paul, scheduled to last until the close of 2030.
The ships will be getting enhanced Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) capabilities, via integration of the new Aster 30 Block 1NT missile, providing upgraded anti-air and ballistic missile defense capabilities.
They will also be getting radar upgrades: the Italian frigates will be fitted with Leonardo’s Kronos Grand Naval AESA radar, while the French ships will get Thales’ SMART-L MM/N.
As per OCCAR, other planned works include enhanced electronic warfare (EW) systems, modernised sensors, improved command-and-control suites, and increased ship survivability measures.
- You can read more details on the OCCAR website
