Italy receives sixth FREMM frigate
The Rizzo multi-mission frigate has been delivered to the Italian Navy at Fincantieri's shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia, the company announced on 20 April.
This is the sixth vessel of the FREMM programme commissioned to Fincantieri within the international Italian-French programme, coordinated by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. The FREMM programme will see the construction of 18 vessels; eight for the French Navy, begin built by DCNS; and ten for the Italian Navy, being built by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri and 49% Leonardo).
The vessels are 144m long with a beam of 19.7m and a displacement at full load of approximately 6,700 tonnes. Rizzo will have a maximum speed of over 27kts and will provide accommodation for a 200 person crew.
The FREMM programme vessels are set to replace the Lupo and Maestrale class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.
More from Naval Warfare
-
What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
-
Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
-
HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
-
How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
-
UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet
The UK MoD is scoping out systems to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems, with a focus on low-cost modularity and speed to field.