On behalf of the French and Italian procurement agencies DGA and SEGREDIFESA/NAVARM, the OCCAR Director, Mr Joachim Sucker, signed a contract for approximately €1.5 billion with the Co-Contractors Mrs. Eva Bruxmeier, the Managing Director of Eurosam and NAVIRIS, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Damien Raby and Mr. Enrico Bonetti, Chief Operational Officer. This follows the signing of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the Nations on June 20, 2023.
This new contract covers the full enhancement of the four (4) HORIZON Class vessels, namely the “Andrea Doria”, the “Caio Duilio”, the “Forbin” and the “Chevalier Paul”. The refurbished ships will be delivered by the end of 2027 (1st Italian), mid-2029 (2nd Italian), end of 2029 (1st French) and end of 2030 (2nd French).
Major upgrades
The major changes that will be made concern the AAW (Anti-Air Warfare) and EW (Electronic Warfare) domains, whilst optimising the initial In-Service Support (ISS) for common activities and maximising the benefits of cooperative procurement practices.
With this upgrade, Horizon class frigates will receive a state-of-the-art modernization of the entire vessel and the enhancement of their anti-warfare capabilities. New weapon systems and associated Command and Control, and electronic warfare suites will provide highest capabilities and performances against the most modern threats. Regarding anti-air warfare, the new generation of PAAMS & LRR is a very significant upgrade and the system will be able to defeat the threats of the decade to come as missiles (hypersonic, ballistic, supersonic sea-skimmer, high velocity cruise), UAVs and highly maneuvering aircrafts, in a saturation attack scenario.
This new generation of PAAMS & LRR for the frigates, developed and produced by eurosam through MBDA Italia, MBDA France and Thales and integrated jointly with Naviris on the frigates, relies on an enhanced missile (ASTER Block 1 NT), an upgraded launcher, two new AESA radars (Kronos Grand Naval from Leonardo and SMART-L MM/N from Thales) and a new open software architecture command andcontrol system.
The partnership of the giants
This signature represents a significant achievement to further strengthen the cooperation between France and Italy in the naval domain. OCCAR is proud of the trust placed by the Nations in its management capabilities to successfully manage an ambitious new armament cooperation project.
The French and Italian Navy General Staffs, their national naval procurement organisations, OCCAR and the defence consortium consisting of NAVIRIS, EUROSAM, FINCANTIERI, NAVAL GROUP, THALES, LEONARDO, MBDA and SIGEN are jointly working on this high-level cooperative naval project.
Horizon-class frigates
The Horizon frigates were initially built between 2000 and 2010 as part of a joint program implemented by Fincantieri and Naval Group, with the aim of providing the French and Italian navies with innovative ships, equipped with high-performance anti-aircraft capabilities. The PAAMS system and the LRR long-range radar were developed and produced under the aegis of eurosam , for the four Horizon-class frigates.
Main characteristics
- Length / width: 153 m / 20.3 m
- Displacement / max: 6,500 tons / 7,300 tons
- Crew: 210 (190 + 20 pax)
- Throw radius: 7,000 Nq at 18 knots
- Maximum speed: 29 knots
This type of ships is intended to perform different missions, which includes high intensity operations, with a small crew. Adapted to combat on the front line, the Horizon frigateshowever, their primary mission is anti-aircraft warfare. The main capabilities of these buildings therefore relate to the control of airspace in conflict zones, to the command and control of air defense capabilities and anti-aircraft cover for convoys and carrier battle groups. These frigates provide adequate protection against high-intensity threats and surface anti-ship missile attacks. They also contribute to air/maritime control during military operations, providing allied forces with command and control capabilities. They can also participate in public service missions.
