Orizzonte Sistemi Navali S.p.A., a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Finmeccanica (49%), and prime contractor for Italy within the international Italian-French FREMM – Multi Mission European Frigates – program, was notified by OCCAR (the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) of the option exercise for the construction of the ninth and tenth vessel, completing the supply of 10 vessels to the Italian Navy.
The value of the order for Orizzonte Sistemi Navali S.p.A. amounts to 764 million euros.
These units too, to be delivered after 2020, will feature a high degree of flexibility as the previous ones, and will be able to operate in all tactical situations. 144 metres long with a beam of 19.7 metres, the ships will have a displacement at full load of approximately 6,700 tonnes and will have a maximum speed of over 27 knots, providing accommodation for a crew of 200.
The ships of the FREMM program are state of the art vessels of the European and the Italian defence in the Mediterranean Sea and will replace the “Lupo” and “Maestrale” class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.
Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Considering the effort which the Italian State is doing, we expect that our workers and those of all the companies which benefit from these orders will endeavour to achieve efficiency levels which will allow to reduce the price of the product, in the interest of the entire country”.
Finmeccanica CEO and General Manager, Mauro Moretti said: “The Italian and French programme for the new FREMM (multi-purpose) European Multi Mission Frigates is the most important European military naval programme ever implemented. The vessel-based systems produced by Finmeccanica are capable of managing a range of continuously developing operational scenarios with cutting edge technology”.
