Italian Navy signs €1.5 billion deal for two new frigates

Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) has signed a €1.5 billion contract with OCCAR for the construction of two new FREMM frigates.

OSN is a joint venture owned by Fincantieri and Leonardo, and it claims the two new “EVOLUTION” iterations of the ships, known as “FREMM EVO”, will be at the cutting edge of naval military craft, in terms of technology and performance, capitalizing on the important technological developments already undertaken as part of recent programs under the Defence Act, as well as the Mid Life Upgrade project for the Horizon-class destroyers.

The order forms part of the multi-year “FREMM” program aimed at the renewal of the Italian Navy's fleet through the construction of next-generation frigates. The vessels will feature the latest anti-drone capabilities and operational management of unmanned systems above the surface, on the sea, and underwater. This will both boost the navy's defensive capabilities and increase its operational flexibility.

All the Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities and features of the FREMM ASW units currently in service will also be available in the new vessels.

The two new units will be built at Fincantieri’s Integrated shipyard in Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with the first “FREMM EVO” due to be delivered in 2029, while the second unit will be available in 2030.

Admiral Enrico Credendino, Chief of the Italian Navy, said: “The acquisition of the two next-generation FREMM (EVO) frigates is part of the broader renewal and modernization plan that the Italian Navy has launched to upgrade its capabilities, in order to adaptively, promptly, and effectively respond to current and future scenarios in a world that has rapidly changed in recent years."

He went on to note that the vessels would play a key role in the navy's strategic objectives, which included "keeping sea lines of communication and straits open" and "to monitor and keep the seabed safe, and to project diplomacy, culture, and “Made in Italy”, as well as to provide support to those in need.”

Giovanni Sorrentino, Chief Executive Officer of OSN, commented that the contract was the result of “the result of close collaboration between institutions, armed forces and private industry." He went to to say: "[This]... represents a significant achievement for the entire national defense industry, for Fincantieri and Leonardo, the major players in Italian defense at both national and international level, and for all the small and medium-sized businesses that form the backbone of our country’s manufacturing sector.”

OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement) or the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, is a European intergovernmental organisation that facilitates and manages collaborative armament programmes through their lifecycle between the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.