The Italian Navy’s Strategic Planning and Fleet Composition Until 2034

The Italian Navy (Marina Militare) published an updated version of its 2019-2034 Strategic Planning (Linee Di Indirizzo Strategico 2019-2034) which outlines the future composition of its fleet and assets.

The 70 pages document starts by highlighting the fact that rapid changes in the international context and its equilibrium, amplified by the advent of new technologies, require the adoption of an integrated approach to maritime security and, more generally, to the defense of national interests that are carried out on the sea, as well as tools and ability to protect them.

This general situation requires the maintenance of a credible, flexible and highly projectable naval aviation capability that embraces all the employment domains, both in conventional and non-conventional forms of warfare, taking full advantage of new technologies (unmanned, cyber, etc. .) to obtain a clear advantage in terms of Maritime Domain Awareness and ability to intervene.

The “Strategic Planning for the Navy 2019 – 2034” intend to lay the foundations for the development, in the medium term, of an integrated and modern Armed Force capable of responding effectively to the challenges of the near future and capable of understanding the environment and the causes of tensions, pre-empting, exercising influence and deterrence and finally, intervening. Equally it will have to take place in four fundamental “functional domains”:
– Defense and security;
– Capacitive Development;
– Support to the Country System;
– International Cooperation.

According to the document, the Italian Navy’s fleet and assets for the 2019-2034 period will eventually consist of:

Command and Control Assets

• Static Headquarters
• MCC (NATO HFR(m)) Projectable C2

Main Naval Vessels

• 1 Aircraft carrier (550 Cavour)
• 4 Amphibious vessels (L9890 LHD Trieste + 3 LXD)
• 4 Destroyers (2 Horizon/Andrea Doria class + 2 new DDX)
• 10 Frigates (FREMM/Bergamini class)
• 7+8 Patrol Vessels (7 PPA/Paolo Thaon di Revel class + 8 EPC European Patrol Corvettes)

Specialized Vessels

• 8 Submarines (4 U212A + 4 U212NFS SSKs)
• 1 SDO SuRS (Special and Diving Operations – Submarine Rescue Ship)
• 3 Logistic Support Ships (LSS/Vulcano class)
• 12 MHC minehunters (4 CNG-A – Cacciamine Nuova Generazione-Altura + 8 CNG-C – Cacciamine Nuova Generazione-Costieri)
• 1 LRSSS/MCCS (Submarine and Minehunter Support Ship)
• 2 high-speed multipurpose SF boats (UNPAV/Angelo Cabrini class)
• 2 Intelligence ships (A5340 Elettra + a new AGI)

Naval Aviation

• 15 F-35B
• 30 heavy helicopters (AW-101 and tilt rotor)
• 56 medium helicopters (46 SH-90ASW and 10 MH-90TTH)
• 9 Maritime Patrol Aircraft for ASW
• 12 Light Utility Helicopters (AW-169)
• 3 Piaggio P-180 Avanti
• 16 Tactical UAS

Training Vessels

• 3 Command training ships
• 4 Navigation training ships
• 2 Large sail training ships
• 6 Small sail training ships

San Marco Marine Brigade

• 1° Rgt (Assault force)
• 2° Rgt (Boarding Team)
• 3° Rgt (Force protection)
• 72 VBA Veicoli Blindati Anfibi (IVECO SuperAV/ACV 1.1 8X8)
• 90 VTMM (Iveco Orso 4X4)

Hydrography and Research Vessels

• 1 UIOM (Main ocean going hydrographic vessel/polar)
• 2 Coastal hydrographic vessels
• 3 Research vessels

Support for Forces

• 4 Coastal patrol boats (Esploratore class)
• 2 Coastal water tankers
• 10 MTC/MTF coastal transport units
• 4 MCC coastal oil tankers
• 54 tugs and harbour units

Fixed Installations

• 1 Coastal Radar Network
• 3 Harbour Protection Systems