Make or break: Can the European Patrol Corvette programme save shipbuilding in Europe?
The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) is a flagship procurement project for the European Union. It is being used as a testbed for a range of EU agencies, frameworks and funding mechanisms to see if it can successfully introduce a high-end naval platform involving multiple countries. (Image: Naviris)
With funding from the European Defence Fund and partner countries, the European Patrol Corvette programme has an opportunity to become the standard bearer for defence procurement and potentially offer a route forward for naval shipbuilding in Europe.
The European Patrol Corvette (EPC) programme has been gradually gathering momentum. With heavy political backing and new financial and project management structures in place, it is hoped that it can become the model for future acquisition by breaking down engrained national preferences and moving towards a genuine European procurement process.
Since its launch in November 2019, the EPC project has expanded and now boasts involvement from six countries, with initial leading partners in France, Italy and Spain joined by observers from Denmark, Greece, Norway, Ireland, Romania and Portugal.
Under a contract signed on 24 October between Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation
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