Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri today laid the keel of the first FREMM EVO for the Italian Navy during a ceremony at the company’s Riva Trigoso shipyard.
Fincantieri press release
The keel laying ceremony of the first of the two new-generation units of FREMM Frigates in the “EVOLUTION” version (“FREMM EVO”) destined for the Italian Navy took place today at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso. The delivery of the unit is scheduled for 2029.
The ceremony was attended by Fulvio Palermo, Head of Project Management of the Naval Vessels Department, and Antonio Quintano, Director of the Integrated Plant of Riva Trigoso-Muggiano, in the presence of representatives of the Italian Navy, Orizzonti Sistemi Navali, OCCAR, the Industry and the RINA Classification Register.
The new “FREMM EVO” will be positioned at the forefront of the military naval context both from a technological and performance point of view, capitalizing on the important technological developments already started within the recent programs of the so-called Naval Law, as well as the Mid Life Upgrade program of the Orizzonte Class Units. The Navy will thus be able to have two units that will guarantee high operational performance, with state-of-the-art technology and equipped with cutting-edge systems, as well as modern anti-drone capabilities, and more generally able to operationally manage unmanned systems in the three dimensions (above the surface, naval and below the surface).
The technological upgrade interventions will concern the Cyber-resilient Ship Management System, the air conditioning and electrical distribution system, the implementation of specific solutions in order to improve the green footprint of the unit for the Platform System part. The combat system will be updated with the modern SADOC 4 Cyber-resilient Combat Management System, the radar sensors (in particular with Dual Band DBR-X-C fixed-face radar) capable of supporting the defense against TBM threats, Electronic Warfare, Artillery and Missile Systems, the Sonar Suite, the Communication System and tactical data links capable of ensuring the highest and most effective level of interoperability. The “FREMM EVO” will also be equipped with highly reliable equipment and advanced maintenance plans, to ensure maximum operational availability and readiness for use.
The contract for the construction of the two new units was signed in July 2024 between Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) – a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%) – and OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement), as part of the FREMM program for the renewal of the Italian Navy’s fleet. The second unit will be delivered in 2030.
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Naval News comments:
Based on the derisking activities, the FREMM EVO configuration matches the hull and propulsion of the current FREMMs with new superstructures capable to accommodate the same combat and platform systems installed on the latest generation vessels developed under the Naval Law, namely the Pattugliatori Polivalenti d’Altura (PPA) or the MultiPurpose Combat Ship (MPCS) – as it is currently designated internationally -, in the Full configuration and the LHD Trieste, in addition to new systems to deal with new missions and threats. The new FREMM EVO will accommodate, among others, the same Leonardo Kronos Dual-Band Radar (DBR) suite with the four AESA flat antennas of the C-band Kronos Quad and the same number of antennas for the X-band Kronos StarFire compared to the single rotating AESA Kronos Grand Naval radar of the current FREMMs, as we will later elaborate.
To learn more about FREMM EVO, check out our in-depth article at this link and our video coverage at Euronaval 2024:
