Fincantieri has cut the steel for the Italian Navy’s next-generation European multi-purpose frigate (FREMM EVO) in Riva Trigoso, Genoa.
The ceremony marks the beginning of the ship’s construction, ordered under a 2024 contract signed by Rome with Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri, Leonardo, and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).
The vessel will serve as the initiative’s first system, with a second hull to be assembled in 2026.
Deliveries of the unnamed frigates are expected in 2029 and 2030, respectively.
Based on Franco-Italian System
Italy’s incoming warships are designed using the standard FREMM model, which was produced under a bilateral cooperation between the Italian and French governments.
The FREMM is now operational in both NATO countries, designated as the Bergamini class in Italy and the Aquitaine class in France.
Although built with a uniform architecture, the vessels are configured according to the exclusive requirements of their users. The frigates also incorporate mission-specific capabilities that categorize them into general-purpose and anti-submarine warfare variants.
Alongside Italy and France, the system is employed by the Egyptian Navy and the Royal Moroccan Navy.
In 2020, the Pentagon contracted Fincantieri’s American segment, Marinette Marine, to construct a US Navy frigate based on the FREMM design in Wisconsin. The following year, the Indonesian Navy purchased six FREMM ships from the Italian company.
The FREMM EVO Warship
The FREMM EVO measures 145 meters (476 feet) in length and has a 20-meter (66-foot) beam.
It will be armed with anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes, decoy launchers, naval weapon turrets, and a cyber-resilient sensor and communication suite.
The vessel will be able to carry up to 180 personnel, up to two maritime helicopters, and inflatable support boats.
It will sail at more than 30 knots (56 kilometers/35 miles per hour) and will have a range of 6,800 nautical miles (7,825 miles/12,600 kilometers).
