Fincantieri press release – Translated by Naval News
The program, which includes two submarines ordered in 2021 and scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2029, as well as a third vessel that has received parliamentary approval, and associated service support and training center construction, is managed by OCCAR (Organization Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement, the international armaments cooperation organization).
The ceremony was attended by, among others, Gen. Joachim Sucker, Director of OCCAR and Adm. insp. C. Giuseppe Abbamonte, Director of the Naval Armament Directorate – NAVARM, by the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri, Gen. Graziano and Pierroberto Folgiero, as well as by the General Director of the Military Vessels Division of the Dario Deste Group.
The U212NFS submarines will be highly innovative, with significant design changes, all developed independently by Fincantieri in accordance with Navy requirements. The program is a response to the need to ensure adequate underwater surveillance and control capabilities in view of the complex operational scenarios that will characterize the future of submarine operations and the approaching end of service of the 4 “Sauro” class units currently in service. It also serves to preserve and develop the strategic and innovative industrial know-how acquired by Fincantieri and to consolidate the technological lead achieved by the company and the supply chain, the large industrial companies and the small and medium enterprises in the sector.
The tasks that submarines perform daily for the community are many. They serve to protect national interests and collective defense within the framework of the main alliances in which the country participates, NATO and the EU: to the purely military tasks are added those related to the freedom of navigation, the fight against piracy, the security of energy supply routes and data flow (due to the resources of the seabed and the existing underwater infrastructures), the respect of international law, the fight against terrorism, the protection of external borders, the protection of maritime infrastructures, including vital offshore and underwater infrastructures, and last but not least, the protection of marine ecosystems.
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About U212 NFS
The U212 NFS is for the Italian Navy. Its design is driven by the requirements to improve endurance, operational flexibility, and capabilities. Thanks to the new combat system, sensors, and planned weapon systems, namely the long-range deep strike cruise missiles, the U212NFS will play a key role from beneath the surface, in the multi-domain and joint-multinational operational scenarios.
Based on an evolved U212A design by Fincantieri, the U212 NFS is characterized by a 1.2 meters longer pressure hull and a hydrodynamically enhanced and further quieter platform with an overall length of approximately 59 meters and a surface displacement of approximately 1,600 tons.
The new platform features a new design sail capable to accommodate up to seven electric masts (with space for an additional optional mast), allowing for future development in the direction of a full electric submarine. Moreover, human factor studies are ongoing to provide more comfortable accommodations for new generation crew members.
The U212 NFS will also include a new-generation combat system with a Leonardo-developed command management system and weapon control, both including significant industrial and technological content provided by Italian industry, R&D, and academia. The new platform will have an extended pressure hull, CIC re-designed for additional consoles, tropicalization (operability in seawater with tropical temperatures), electric hoistable masts instead of hydraulic ones, new engineering control monitoring system, and lithium-ion batteries for the propulsion system. Moreover, U212 NFS will be fitted for the deployment of long-range deep-strike cruise missiles and Leonardo national Black Shark Advanced heavyweight torpedoes. These innovative systems will also be tailored with a view to retrofitting previous units.
Delivery schedule
| U212 NFS NR.1 | 12/2027 |
| U212 NFS NR.2 | 01/2029 |
| U212 NFS NR.3 | 05/2030 |
| U212 NFS NR.4 | 06/2031 (optional) |
