Italy's Fincantieri and Leonardo Group announced on the 24th that they had signed a shipbuilding contract worth 3.7 billion euros (approximately NT$133.6 billion) with the European Organization for Cooperation in Arms Cooperation (OCCAR) to develop and build two new DDX 10,000-ton destroyers. The picture shows the schematic diagram of the DDX warship. (Picture: taken from Naval News)
[Reporter Luo Tianbin/Reporting from Taipei] Italian Fincantieri and Leonardo Group announced on the 24th that they had signed a shipbuilding contract worth 3.7 billion euros (approximately NT$133.6 billion) with the European Organization for Cooperation in Arms Cooperation (OCCAR). This huge investment of 100 billion will be used to develop and build two new DDX 10,000-ton destroyers to completely replace old traditional warships that have been in service for more than 31 years. The launch of this major shipbuilding project not only represents the strong strength of Italy's national defense industry, but also declares that Italy will firmly occupy the first echelon of European conventional naval power.
The biggest attraction of this new DDX destroyer with a displacement of up to 13,500 tons is its fully evolved "brain" and radar system. The entire ship will be equipped with 4 high-power, fully digital, new-generation S-band active electronic array (AESA) phased array radars, completely bidding farewell to the era of traditional rotating antennas. Paired with the newly developed SADOC 5 combat management system, this 10,000-ton warship has extremely powerful multi-target tracking and battlefield control capabilities. Facing extremely complex saturation attacks on modern battlefields, the new radar can provide millisecond-level response speeds and become an indispensable air defense umbrella for the fleet.
Please read on...
Aster 30 B1NT anti-aircraft missile produced by MBDA, a major defense manufacturer. This new missile has a maximum effective range of 150 kilometers and an interception altitude of up to 25,000 meters. It can even effectively counter medium-range ballistic missiles with a range of 1,500 kilometers and new threats hypersonic weapons. (Picture: taken from MBDA website)
In terms of weapon systems, the DDX destroyer has demonstrated stunning ocean strike and defensive capabilities. The entire ship is expected to be equipped with up to 80 vertical launch system units (VLS), mainly carrying Aster 30 B1NT anti-aircraft missiles produced by MBDA, a major defense manufacturer. This new missile has a maximum effective range of 150 kilometers and an interception altitude of up to 25,000 meters. It can even effectively counter medium-range ballistic missiles with a range of 1,500 kilometers and new threats hypersonic weapons. In addition, the ship is also planned to be equipped with naval cruise missiles (MdCN), giving the Italian Navy for the first time a powerful long-range asymmetric strike capability against the ground.
As for the replaced Durand de la Penne class destroyer (Durand de la Penne class), the first ship De la Penne will be decommissioned in October 2024, and the second ship Mibeli will also enter history in October 2025. This old warship from the Cold War has long used the Mk 13 single-arm rotating missile launcher that must be loaded one round at a time. It is completely unable to parry in the face of modern drone swarms or high-speed missiles. In contrast, the DDX 10,000-ton destroyer with 80 vertical launchers and fully digital radar is completely beyond generational in terms of combat power. The first ship is expected to be delivered in 2033, and the second ship will join the series in 2035.
Looking across Europe, the Italian Navy has long surpassed the British in operational scale and modernization. In addition to this type of 10,000-ton warship that is about to start construction, Italy currently also operates the Cavour light aircraft carrier and the newly commissioned amphibious assault ship Trieste. It is one of the rare countries in the world to have a "dual aircraft carrier class". These two core main ships can carry US-made F-35B stealth fighters. With the addition of two DDX 10,000-ton destroyers in the future, this dual-carrier strike group that combines modern destroyers and high-tech stealth fighters will bring Italy's power projection capabilities in the Mediterranean and oceans to an unprecedented peak.
