Italy’s largest shipbuilder, Fincantieri, has reiterated its offer of the U212 Near Future Submarine (NFS), presenting it as a tailored solution to the Philippines challenging maritime environment and a key component of Italy’s broader effort to forge lasting defense partnerships across the Indo-Pacific region.
Aurora Buzzo, manager at Fincantieri’s Naval Vessels Division, outlined the Philippines’ diverse underwater environment — from the shallow waters of the West Philippine Sea to the deep expanses of the Celebes Sea. “We have a mix of deep blue water and shallow water and choke points so here it’s very important to have a good maneuverability,” she said during a forum in Manila this week. Buzzo added that this challenging maritime environment requires flexibility “to operate in shallow water and deep water; to be stealth— to operate undetected in critical areas; to operate in warm water—tropicalization is important; to have an ISR capability; to have a strategic deterrent; to have a psychological impact and minimal visible presence.” She presented the U212 NFS as a system well aligned with the Philippines’ deterrence needs. Fincantieri has so far built four U212 submarines for the Italian Navy.
A central selling point is the air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, which allows the submarine to remain submerged for longer periods. Buzzo explained that a hydrogen-oxygen reaction produces electrical current for propulsion, with reaction water as its only byproduct—enabling prolonged submerged operations with very low acoustic and mechanical signatures. Paired with lithium batteries, Buzzo said the AIP package would deliver “several days” of endurance and make snorting—a process in which submarines rise to the surface of the ocean—“hardly possible.”
Buzzo noted the similarities between the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific waters:
“Our waters range from very shallow to deep blue, and from cold to warm and so tropicalization can allow operations in this area. We see how many commonalities we have,”
The submarine measures roughly 60 meters in length, with a displacement of about 1,800 tonnes, and is capable of carrying 29 crew members plus up to eight special operations personnel. The type can operate in waters as shallow as 40 meters while still offering blue-water range and endurance.
In April, Fincantieri signed an industrial cooperation agreement with German defense firm ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for a joint submarine bid offering the U212-class attack boats to the Philippine Navy.
“TKMS would support Fincantieri as prime contractor for the Philippines’ submarine opportunities and underwater opportunities […] Both companies are fully committed to supporting the Self-Reliance Defense Posture and performance-based logistics, including technology transfer, industrial and operational training, long-term logistical support—also backed by the Italian Navy—and assistance in designing and building critical infrastructure,” Buzzo said, adding that there was a “possibility to finance up to 100 percent of the contract value with a facilitated payment plan” for the Philippines.
In the same forum, Buzzo also presented the recently unveiled DEEP (Dynamic Ecosystem for Enhanced Performance), an integrated system “devoted for the protection of underwater critical spots,” composed of an “underwater management system, a detection barrier and the fleet of unmanned underwater vehicles.”
The Philippines remains among the few countries in the region without a submarine fleet—a gap that underscores the urgency of its ongoing military modernization drive. Other defense firms that have submitted bids include Hanwha Ocean with the KSS-III PN, France’s Naval Group with its Scorpène-class submarines, and Spain’s Navantia with the S-80PN.
The Philippine government has committed to allocate around ₱2 trillion (approximately US$35 billion) over the next decade to strengthen its military capabilities amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
