Naviris and Navantia to conduct EPC studies
Naviris (the 50:50 JV between Fincantieri and Naval Group) and Navantia have signed an MoU in connection with the European Patrol Corvette (EPC) programme.
Both parties announced that they will ‘act in a fully coordinated way’ with Fincantieri and Naval Group by conducting a series of design studies for EPC, which is envisaged to be 100m long with 3,000t displacement.
‘The studies could potentially benefit from European Union and national funds and will include a large part of R&D leading to innovative solutions for making easier the co-development and interoperability, the efficiency of the vessels in operations and digital data management,’ Naviris and Navantia noted in a joint statement on 11 February.
To date, France, Italy (as project coordinator), Spain and Greece have signed up for the EPC, which is designated as a key programme within the EU Permanent Structured Cooperation framework and has the backing of the European Defence Agency.
The EPC is intended to replace to replace several classes of ships, from patrol vessels to light frigates, from 2027.
‘The design requirements for these vessels, with a clear objective of commonality of solutions and modularity for adaptation to national requirements, are expected from the [participating] navies in 2021,’ Naviris and Navantia added.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
European Patrol Corvette (EPC)/Buques de Protección Marítima (BPM) [Spain]
More from Naval Warfare
-
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
-
Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”
Although the CDC project is still in its early stages, the Canadian Department of National Defence already has some requirements for the future platforms.
-
US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection
The Naval Supply Systems Command is seeking authorised resellers of JaiaBot uncrewed underwater vehicles and multivehicle pods. The platforms will support undergraduate education at the US Naval Academy.
-
NATO tests use of “undetectable, jam-proof” laser communication in maritime scenarios
As part of its effort to better prepare its capabilities for operations in contested and congested scenarios, NATO evaluated a Lithuanian ship-to-ship terminal designed to not be susceptible to enemy interference.