On 16 September 2016, DCNS floated the FREMM multi-mission frigate Bretagne in Lorient, France. The achievement of this industrial milestone marks an important step in the construction of the vessel. It once again underlines the dynamism of DCNS and its capacity to deliver six FREMM frigates to the French Navy before mid-2019, in accordance with the Military Programming Law 2014-2019.
DCNS floats a new FREMM Frigate
DCNS has now floated the FREMM Bretagne on its Lorient site, the seventh frigate in the programme and fifth in the series ordered by OCCAR (L’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en Matière d’Armement) on behalf of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) for the French Navy.
This floating, six months after the delivery of the FREMM Languedoc on 16 March 2016, demonstrates DCNS’s capacity to carry out efficient series production, ensuring that it can deliver six frigates to the French Navy before mid-2019.
The FREMM programme is advancing rapidly. Five FREMM frigates were already delivered between 2012 and 2015: three for the French Navy and two for international clients, the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy.
Three FREMM frigates and one Gowind corvette are currently under construction and at different completion stages at the DCNS site of Lorient:
FREMM Auvergne, which will start sea trials at the end of September 2016.
FREMM Bretagne, floated today.
FREMM Normandie, for which assembling is about to start.
The first Gowind corvette, floated on 17 September 2016.
For DCNS, the completion of the FREMM programme will represent the construction of ten frigates, eight of them for the French Navy. In addition to the six frigates to be delivered by 2019, there will be two further frigates with strengthened anti-air capacities which will be delivered before end 2022.
On May 17, ITS Luigi Rizzo cast off at 7.20 a.m. from Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia) for her first sea outing. This activity marks the beginning of the programme of sea trials which will continue until the completion of the ship’s outfitting phase. The FREMM frigate is scheduled to be delivered to the Italian Navy in early 2017.
The Italian Navy’s sixth FREMM-class frigate, ITS Luigi Rizzo, sails from Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard on her initial sea trials (IT Navy photo)
The ship had on board Vice-Admiral Donato Marzano, Italian Navy Logistic Commander and Chairman of the Naval Ship Acceptance Commission, personnel from Marinalles New Ships Outfitting and Testing Navy Centre, representatives from technical organisations involved in testing activities, and some of future crew members.
ITS Luigi Rizzo – the sixth new-generation frigate commissioned by the Italian Navy within the framework of the FREMM (European Multimission Frigate) Italo-French Programme, and second in General Purpose (GP) version – is characterised by high flexibility and is designed to cover a variety of operational deployments. Laid down on March 5 2013, it was launched on December 19 2015 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso (Genoa).
Thanks to their command and control capabilities and logistic autonomy, FREMM frigates will be able to provide patrol service (presence and surveillance) and to conduct activities related to monitoring of migration flows and shipping control, as well as counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations. Moreover, their prominent dual use capabilities will allow for their deployment on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, including civil protection and support for cultural heritage.
FREMM-IT will replace the Maestrale and Lupo frigates in service with the Italian Navy
On 16 March 2016, DCNS delivered the FREMM frigate D653 Languedoc intended for the French Navy, on the occasion of the acceptance ceremony by OCCAR (L’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en Matière d’Armement) on behalf of the French DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement). This event once again demonstrates the industrial success of the largest European naval defence programme. The FREMM frigates are amongst some of the highest-performance latest-generation combat vessels on the market and have already won over three client Navies.
DCNS delivers its 5th FREMM frigate, Languedoc
FREMM D653 Languedoc is the fifth unit to be built by DCNS and the third intended for the French Navy. The frigate was officially accepted by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation), an international organisation for the through-life management of cooperative defence equipment programmes, which has the role of contracting authority for FREMMs intended for France and Italy. The ceremony was presided over by the Director of OCCAR, Timothy Rowntree, and the Armaments Engineer-General, Laurent Sellier, Director of the DGA’s «Armaments Naval Operations» management unit, and in the presence of Pierre Legros, Director of Programmes at DCNS.
The official acceptance of the FREMM Languedoc is a demonstration of the satisfaction of the operational personnel that had the opportunity to test its exceptional military qualities in multiple operations theatres. At the start of the year, the D650 Aquitaine and D652 Provence FREMMs participated in the Task Force 50 actions in the Persian-Arabian Gulf, at the sides of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, designed, built and maintained by DCNS.
These front-line frigates also won over the Royal Moroccan Navy in 2014 and the Egyptian Navy in 2015.
The operational deployments and international successes of this latest-generation frigate demonstrate the capacity of DCNS to design, build and maintain competitive, high-tech vessels, which are perfectly suited to the needs of its clients.
The FREMMs are the first vessels in Europe to deploy the naval cruise missile (MdCN) for which the first firing took place on 19 May 2015 from the FREMM D650 Aquitaine.
«The delivery of the FREMM D653 Languedoc represents an opportunity to highlight the serial effects of a programme that DCNS clients can take advantage of», notes Anne Bianchi, Director of the FREMM programme at DCNS. «With this fifth unit, DCNS has again improved its industrial and economic performance. It was possible to reduce the duration of the sea acceptance trials for the D653 Languedoc frigate to five weeks, thanks to the experience acquired for the FREMMs already delivered. The DCNS teams and our partners have, in effect, attained an unprecedented level of vessel completion even before its first sea outing», she underlines.
The FREMM programme represents today the construction of ten vessels, of which eight for the French Navy. Six FREMMs will have been delivered to the French Navy before mid-2019, in accordance with the 2015-2019 military programming law. DCNS is currently completing the FREMM D654 Auvergne, which was floated on 2 September 2015, and is pursuing the assembly of the FREMM D655 Bretagne. Work has started on the eighth FREMM in the series, the D656 Normandie. Last but not least, DCNS is finalising the design of two FREMMs with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities, the delivery of which is slated for 2022.
Heavily armed, the FREMMs deploy the most effective weapon systems and equipment, such as the Herakles multifunction radar, the naval cruise missile (MdCN), the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles or the MU 90 torpedoes
Overview of the FREMM series
D650 Aquitaine, first in the series, delivered in 2012
Mohammed VI (701), delivered to the Royal Moroccan Navy in 2014
D652 Provence delivered in June 2015
Tahya Misr (FFG-1001), delivered to the Egyptian Navy in June 2015
D653 Languedoc delivered on 16 March 2016
D654 Auvergne, D655 Bretagne and D656 Normandie to be delivered in 2017, 2018 and 2019
Two FREMMs with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities to be delivered in 2021 and 2022
Languedoc, the French navy’s third FREMM-class frigate, sails out of Lorient for its initial sea trials, which will test its propulsion and navigations systems. Six of these ships will be delivered by 2019 (DCNS photo)
The launching ceremony of the frigate Luigi Rizzo (F595), the sixth of a series of 10 FREMM vessels – Multi Mission European Frigates – took place on December 19 at the Riva Trigoso shipyard (Genoa). The 10 FREMM vessels have been commissioned to Fincantieri by the Italian Navy within the framework of an Italo-French cooperation program under the coordination of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for cooperation on arms).
Planning assumptions for the Italian Navy are 10 FREMM-IT (4 ASW variants and 6 GP variants) at a cost of €5.8 billion
Godmother of the ceremony was Mrs. Maria Guglielmina Rizzo, daughter of Luigi Rizzo, two Gold Medals of Military Valor. The ceremony was attended among others by, Giovanni Toti, Governor of Liguria, Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy and the CEO of Fincantieri Giuseppe Bono.
After the launching, fitting activities will continue in the Integrated naval shipyard of Muggiano (La Spezia), with delivery scheduled in early 2017. The Luigi Rizzo (F595) vessel will feature a high degree of flexibility, capable of operating in all tactical situations. 472.4 feet/144 metres long with a beam of 64.6 feet/19.7 metres, the ship will have a displacement at full load of approximately 6,700 tonnes. The Luigi Rizzo (F595) will have a maximum speed of over 27 knots/31 mph/50 km/h and will provide accommodation for a 200-person crew.
The ships of the FREMM program represent the state of the art of the European and Italian defence and will replace the Lupo and Maestrale class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.
The vessels Carlo Bergamini (F590) and Virginio Fasan (F591) have been delivered in 2013, the Carlo Margottini (F592) in 2014, the Carabiniere in 2015 (F593), while the delivery of the Alpino (F594) is scheduled in 2016. With the option exercised last April for the construction of the ninth and tenth vessel, whose delivery is scheduled after 2020, the Italian program has been fully implemented.
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri, 49% Finmeccanica) acts as prime contractor for Italy in the initiative, while Armaris (DCNS + Thales) is prime contractor for France.
This cooperation has applied the positive experience gained in the previous Italo-French program Orizzonte that has led to the construction for the Italian Navy of the two frigates Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio.
The ASW version was fitted with both towed and hull mounted sonars
7 October, the FREMM Languedoc, the third frigate of the series for the French Navy, made its first sea outing. This industrial milestone marks the start of the vessel’s sea trials, which will take place off the coast of Brittany. With three FREMM multi-mission frigates currently under construction on the Lorient site, DCNS will have delivered six FREMMs to the French Navy before mid-2019, in accordance with the Military Programming Law 2015-2019, as well as two FREMMs for the export market.
Languedoc, the French navy’s third FREMM-class frigate, sails out of Lorient for its initial sea trials, which will test its propulsion and navigations systems. Six of these ships will be delivered by 2019 (DCNS photo)
DCNS has now completed the first sea outing of the FREMM Languedoc on the Lorient site, the third of the series of vessels ordered by OCCAR (l’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement – Organization for Joint Armament) on behalf of the DGA (French Defence Procurement Agency) and the French Navy. During this first sea outing, the main objective was to test the performance of the vessel’s propulsion and navigation system.
The FREMM Languedoc will benefit from a significant reduction in the duration of its sea trials compared to the previous FREMMs: six weeks instead of the previous eight. This optimised trial duration illustrates the transition to «series mode» for the multi-mission frigates.
DCNS teams and those of its partners were thus able to capitalise on the experience acquired with the FREMMs already delivered to proceed with the integration of the combat system’s sensors and weapons before the FREMM Languedoc’s first sea outing. This streamlining of the scheduling allows an optimisation of the duration and number of sea outings for the frigate and therefore, in the end, a reduction in the total time required for vessel trials.
«The acceleration of the trial scheduling for the FREMM Languedoc is a demonstration of DCNS capacity to ensure efficient serial production», explains Anne Bianchi, Director of the FREMM Programme at DCNS.
In the medium term, the FREMM programme will involve for DCNS the construction of ten frigates, eight of them for the French Navy
DCNS has floated the French Navy’s FREMM multi-mission frigate Auvergne in Lorient. The achievement took place on 2 September and marks an important step in the construction of the most modern front-line ship of the 21st century. The FREMM D654 Auvergne is the sixth frigate in the programme and fourth of the series ordered by OCCAR (l’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement – Organization for Joint Armament) on behalf of the DGA (the French defence procurement agency) for the French Navy.
Auvergne, seen here as it floats out of the building hall in Lorient, is the sixth FREMM frigate built by DCNS, which is building another three for the French navy
With three FREMMs currently under construction in DCNS’ Lorient site, DCNS is accelerating the production speed in order to deliver six FREMMs to the French Navy before mid-2019. Two additional frigates equipped with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities will be delivered before 2022. Two further units have also been sold to international clients: The Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy.
«The floating of the FREMM Auvergne, after the delivery of the FREMM Tahya Misr to the Egyptian Navy and the delivery of the FREMM Provence in June, demonstrate DCNS’s ability to successfully achieve a serial production», explains Anne Bianchi, FREMM Programme Director at DCNS. «DCNS is doing everything in its power to satisfy its clients, the OCCAR, the DGA and the French Navy by delivering these last six frigates before mid-2019».
DCNS commenced construction of the FREMM Auvergne in August 2012. This new-generation frigate will be operated by an optimized crew of 108 (half that required for the frigates of the previous generation). Delivery of the FREMM Aquitaine, the first multi-mission frigate to be built for the French Navy, was taken by OCCAR on 23 November 2012 on behalf of the DGA.
OCCAR: the Organisation for Joint Armaments Operations, is an international organisation whose core-business is the through-life management of cooperative defence equipment programmes entrusted to it by the Member States. It ensures, amongst other things, the project management for the multi-mission frigates intended for France and Italy
Four surface ships currently being produced at DCNS Lorient
The floating of the FREMM Auvergne is being celebrated while the FREMM programme is progressing at an accelerated speed on the DCNS site in Lorient. Three FREMM frigates are currently under construction for the French Navy. The Lorient teams are also mobilized for the construction of the first GOWIND corvette for the Egyptian Navy.
FREMM technical characteristics
Under the project management of DCNS, the heavily armed FREMM frigates are equipped with the most effective weapon systems and hardware, such as the Héraclès multifunctional radar, the Naval Cruise Missile, the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles and the MU 90 torpedoes.
DCNS commenced construction of the FREMM Auvergne in August 2012
On Wednesday 22 July, the FREMM FFG-1001 Tahya Misr of the Egyptian navy left the Brest military port to join its homeport in Alexandria, Egypt, six months after the contract for the supply of a multi-mission frigate was signed between DCNS and the Ministry of Defence of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The Egyptian navy is now the third navy to operate this exceptional latest-generation warship
DCNS quickly initiated the required adaptation and outfitting work and the training of seamen to permit the Egyptian navy to take on the ship. As early as March 2015 DCNS trained the Egyptian seamen making up this frigate’s crew. In order to operate such a highly automated ship safely, DCNS and its partners accompany the crew for a period of 15 months. The programme includes several phases: theoretical modules, on-land training using platforms and simulators and then onboard training both at the quayside and at sea.
On 23 June of this year, the FREMM Tahya Misr was transferred from DCNS to the Egyptian navy during a ceremony attended by the Egyptian and French Defence Ministers. On 22 July, the Egyptian FREMM cast off from Brest and headed to Alexandria, its homeport.
The partnership with DCNS does not, however, stop with the FREMM Tahya Misr leaving France: the contract also includes DCNS providing support services and through life support in Egypt for the next five years.
With the FREMM developed and built by DCNS, the Egyptian navy has the most modern front-line ship of the 21st century
Second international success for the FREMM
The most technologically advanced and most competitive ship on the market, the FREMM meets the operational requirements of numerous navies due to its versatility and its maneuverability. Capitalizing on its unprecedented success in Europe for the firing of the naval cruise missile on board the FREMM Aquitaine on 19 May 2015, DCNS offers its clients vessels that are global references in terms of their design and construction as well as for the integration of innovative systems.
In addition, the updating of the Military Planning Law will permit DCNS to continue developing its range of ships and services and to accelerate its international development. With the kick-off of the intermediate-size frigate program, DCNS is going to propose a product, which meets the needs of the French Navy and will meet a growing international demand for front-line frigates of approximately 4,000 tons.
Currently, in the surface ship market, DCNS counts among its customers, the Royal Moroccan Navy with the delivery in January 2014 of the FREMM Mohammed VI and the Egyptian Navy with the delivery of the FREMM Tahya Misr (FFG-1001) and four GOWIND corvettes. Moreover, DCNS is building six GOWIND corvettes for the Malaysian Navy. These contracts show the success of DCNS’ products in the international market.
The Gowind 2500 multi-mission corvette is designed for surveillance, surface and subsurface combat, protection and escort naval missions
Technical characteristics of the FREMMs
Equipped with high-tech sensors and weapons, integrated with the SETIS combat system developed by DCNS, the frigate can counter all types of threats, whether air, surface, submarine or land-based. The heavily armed FREMM is equipped with the most effective weapons systems and equipment, such as the Herakles multifunction radar, the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles, or the MU 90 torpedoes. It is innovative and offers unequalled levels of interoperability and availability.
The 8th Italian FREMM ship was laid down on the 12th July 2015 at the Riva Trigoso shipyard. The ceremony marks an important milestone in the OCCAR (l’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement – Organization for Joint Armament) FREMM Programme after the first steel cutting of this frigate on the 25th February 2015. This new FREMM ship will be in the General Purpose configuration and will be delivered to the Italian Navy at the beginning of 2019.
The ASW version was fitted with both towed and hull mounted sonars
The FREMM ships are characterized by a high level of flexibility, and are specifically designed to operate in multiple scenarios. The Programme, which is the most important joint initiative to date between European industries in the field of naval defence, continues to run beyond 2020 after the placement on 16th April 2015 of the order for the last two FREMM frigates for Italy.
The other Italian FREMM ships are currently at different stages of production: Carlo Bergamini (F590), the First Of Class (FOC) in General Purpose (GP) configuration, and Virginio Fasan (F591), the FOC in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) configuration, are fully operational and employed by the Italian Navy. Both of them are in the In Service Phase with all the necessary support services provided through the Temporary Global Support contract.
Carlo Margottini (F592) and Carabiniere (F593), the Follow On Ships (FOS) in ASW configuration, are respectively under the Warranty Works period up to the end of July 2015 (when Carlo Margottini will be fully operational), and the Warranty period.
Alpino (F594), the FOS №3 in ASW configuration, was launched on 13th December 2014; Luigi Rizzo (А595), the FOS №1 in GP configuration, will be launched in December 2015; and the 7th Italian FREMM is under construction.
On June 12th in Brest, DCNS delivered the FREMM multi-mission frigate D652 Provence to the French Navy, as stipulated in the contract. This frigate is the second of the series ordered by OCCAR (l’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement – Organisation for Joint Armament) on behalf of the DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement – French armament procurement agency).
The D652 Provence, the French navy’s second FREMM-class multipurpose frigate, leaves Lorient after being officially handed over. DCNS now has four similar frigates in various stages of completion, and additional orders are planned (DCNS photos)
Delivery of the FREMM multi-mission frigate Provence is the result of a design and construction process managed by DCNS in close cooperation with the French Navy, DGA and OCCAR teams. All DCNS sites, its partners and subcontractors took part to this technological and industrial success to ensure compliance with the industrial milestones, in particular the launching in September 2013 and the first sea outing in September 2014.
The delivery of the second series to the French Navy took place just a few weeks after the first successful firing in Europe of a naval cruise missile from the first-of-class, the FREMM D650 Aquitaine. The sale of a frigate to the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy, as well as the announcement of the launch of the intermediate-size frigates programme, boost DCNS ambitions for international development thanks to a broader offer of first of rank surface ships.
«The delivery of the FREMM Provence represents an opportunity to applaud the industrial and technological prowess of DCNS and its subcontractors. It underlines our ability to produce first of rank combat ships that meet our client navies needs, such as those of Morocco and Egypt», stated Anne Bianchi, Director of FREMM programmes. «Today, we are proud to deliver this second ship to the French Navy».
DCNS designs, builds and maintains submarines and surface vessels
SETIS, one of the most effective sea-proven combat systems on the market
The delivery of the FREMM Provence marks the culmination in the ramping up of SETIS (Ship Enhanced Tactical Information System), the latest-generation combat system developed by DCNS. The ship is now equipped with a cutting-edge solution that is perfectly integrated on board. Indeed, the successful firing of the naval cruise missile on May 19th 2015 from the FREMM Aquitaine is a demonstration of the anti-land warfare capabilities directed at targets located deep in enemy territory. Added to the anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare capabilities, the FREMM has now reached its full technological capabilities.
«DCNS has successfully accomplished this essential step for the FREMM SETIS combat system. We are proud to have contributed to the successful firing of a cruise missile from a surface ship, a first in Europe. This result is a demonstration of DCNS expertise in the area of the design and integration of combat systems», stressed Anne Bianchi.
The FREMM D652 Provence delivered on 12 June 2015
Four FREMM at different stages of construction at DCNS Lorient Shipyard
For DCNS, the FREMM programme currently involves the construction of ten frigates, eight of them for the French Navy. Six of these are to be delivered by 2019 and the remaining two frigates, equipped with extended anti-aircraft capabilities, will be delivered before 2022. Two other were sold for export clients: the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy.
The delivery of the FREMM Provence takes place at a time when the FREMM programme is powering ahead on the DCNS site in Lorient. To date, three FREMM frigates are under construction and one is being prepared before being delivered:
The FREMM D650 Aquitaine, first in series, delivered in 2012.
The FREMM 701 Mohammed VI, for the Royal Moroccan Navy, delivered in 2014.
The FREMM D652 Provence, delivered on 12 June 2015.
The FREMM intended for the Egyptian Navy, formerly the FREMM D651 Normandie, will be delivered in summer 2015.
The FREMM D653 Languedoc will make its first sea outing in autumn 2015.
The FREMM D654 Auvergne is currently in the final stages of construction and will be launched in September 2015.
The FREMM D656 Bretagne is currently being assembled.
D651 «Normandie» FREMM multi-mission frigate (right side view)
Technical characteristics of the FREMMs
The FREMM multi-mission frigate is one of the most technologically advanced and competitive ships on the market. Its versatility and manoeuvrability meet the operational requirements of numerous navies around the world. Equipped with high-tech sensors and weapons, integrated with the SETIS latest-generation combat system developed by DCNS, the frigate can counter all types of threats, whether air, surface, submarine or land-based.
The heavily armed FREMM frigate is equipped with the most effective weapons systems and equipment, such as the Herakles multifunction radar, the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles, or the MU 90 torpedoes. It is innovative and offers unequalled levels of interoperability and availability. This combat ship is capable of meeting the expectations of numerous navies.
Range: 6,000 nautical miles/6,905 miles/11,112 km at 15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h
Provence ‘s broader weapons and equipment fit includes: the Thales HERAKLES multifunction radar and ARTEMIS panoramic surveillance system; the Terma Scanter 2001 navigation and surveillance radars; Thales’ UMS 4110 CL and CAPTAS 4 hull-mounted and towed sonar systems; the DCNS SETIS combat management system; Sagem’s Vigy MM fire-control system; Thales’ SIC 21 command-and-control information system; 16 Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles, 16 Missile de Croisiere Naval (MdCN) long-range cruise missiles, and eight Exocet MM 40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles, all from MBDA; Oto Melara’s 76/62 Super Rapid gun; 19 Eurotorp MU90 lightweight torpedoes; Sagem’s NGDS decoy launchers; and Thales Surfsat-L SATCOM terminals
The frigate Carabiniere (F593) was delivered on April 28, 2015 at the Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard. It is the fourth vessel of the FREMM program – Multi Mission European Frigates – commissioned to Fincantieri within the international Italian-French program, coordinated by OCCAR (the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri and 49% Finmeccanica) is the prime contractor for Italy in the FREMM program, which envisions the building of 10 units, all already ordered.
The ASW version was fitted with both towed and hull mounted sonars
The ship has been named Carabiniere (F593) to celebrate in 2014, year of the launching, the 200th anniversary of the foundation of the Italian Carabinieri Force. Carabiniere (F593) is the fourth FREMM unit which Fincantieri builds and delivers to the Italian Navy completed with a combat system (the third with the ASW – Anti Submarine Warfare configuration), that is the ability of silent navigation speed in significant anti-submarine hunting.
144 meters long and a displacement at full load of approximately 6,700 tonnes, the FREMM frigates represent technological excellence: designed to reach a maximum speed of 27 knots/31 mph/50 km/h and to provide accommodation for 200 people (crew and staff), these vessels are able to always guarantee a high degree of flexibility and to operate in a wide range of scenarios and tactical situations.
The program faces the fleet renewal need of the Italian Navy’s units of the class frigates Lupo (disarment completed in 2003) and Maestrale (close in reaching its operational life limit). It is coordinated by OCCAR (l’Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement).
These units significantly contribute to the tasks assigned to the Italian Navy, being able to operate in various sectors: anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-naval warfare, fire support from the sea as well as an organic helicopter component embarked. The FREMM units are set to become the backbone of the Italian Navy of the next decades.
