Agence France-Presse, PARIS: The French defence ministry affirmed Wednesday that a multi-billion-euro Franco-Italian frigate-building accord would be signed “in the next few days” after an embarrassing last-minute hitch at an inking ceremony the day before in the presence of President Jacques Chirac.
Ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau said an Italian delegation headed by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi backed out of signing the agreement Tuesday because of “a technical delay of an administrative nature between Italian ministries.”
Chirac had announced the first phase of the 11-billion-euro (13-billion-dollar) initiative — known as Renaissance project in Italy and the FREMM (European Multi-Mission Frigates) project in France — after meeting Berlusconi.
His office initially said the French and Italian defence ministers had signed a deal authorising the construction to begin, but then retracted the statement.
Bureau assured journalists that the signing would take place very soon, and added that he was not able to give further comment on the problem.
Italy's government has consistently dragged its heels in allocating the money for the project ever since it was first agreed in principle a year ago.
But Italian military chiefs who fear France might go it alone and Italy would be left with an obsolete fleet — its current frigates will be retired in four years — have kept the pressure up to procure funding.
If it goes ahead, the navy production programme will be one of Europe's most ambitious ever, and represented a key step towards the development of European and NATO rapid reaction forces, which would rely on the ships to project military power.
It calls for 27 ultra-modern frigates to be ulimately built and entering service between 2010 and 2020.
France is to take 17 of the vessels — some which will be suited to land-attack missions — while Italy will take 10.
The frigates are set to be conventionally powered vessels outfitted with automated systems requiring around 100 crew members.
Measuring 140 metres (460 feet) long and 20 metres wide with a draught of five metres and a weight of 5,600 tonnes, they will be capable of a top speed of 27.6 knots and can carry a helicopter.
Each will have sophisticated electronic detection and defence systems featuring radar and infra-red technology, communications gear, sonar and anti-aircraft and anti-submarine missiles
