自由时报1 hour agoDefense2 min readChina

Fincantieri plans to return to the US military market with FREMM EVO frigate

Quick Look

After the U.S.
Navy canceled the mass production of the Constellation-class frigate, the original contractor Fincantieri planned to re-bid with FREMM EVO, arguing that using a mature design can shorten the construction time and utilize existing U.S. shipbuilding facilities.
However, the final decision will still be announced after the U.S. military evaluates foreign frigate designs.

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Why It Matters

The U.S. Navy originally planned to develop the Constellation-class frigate based on the FREMM frigate, but subsequent modifications were so extensive that only 15% of the design commonality was left, causing delays and problems, and the plan was eventually cancelled.

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Schematic diagram of Fincantieri FREMM EVO new frigate. (Picture taken from Fincantieri website)

[Reporter Tu Jumin/Comprehensive Report] After the U.S. Navy's "Constellation-class" mass production plan for frigates failed, the original contractor Fincantieri has no plans to withdraw from the U.S. military market and is also seeking to "resurrect the defeated unit." The U.S. military news website "The War Zone" reported that as the U.S. Navy re-evaluates mature foreign frigate designs, Fincantieri intends to attack again with the FREMM family and include the latest FREMM EVO frigate as an option for the U.S. military to compete for a new wave of small surface combatant business opportunities.

The "Constellation Class" was originally based on the FREMM frigate jointly developed by France and Italy. The US military initially hoped to reduce costs and risks through mature and existing designs in mass production. However, subsequent modifications were too extensive, and in the end only 15% of the design commonality with the original FREMM remained, which led to delays and other problems, and became an important factor in the cancellation of the plan.

Fincantieri now believes that if the US military is willing to directly accept mature designs and avoid being involved in repeated modifications, it can start construction faster. The company also emphasized that the U.S. shipbuilding facilities and supply chain originally established for the "Constellation Class" can be transferred to FREMM EVO with only minor adjustments. However, this is only Fincantieri’s unilateral idea, and it is still unknown whether it will win the favor of the US government.

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FREMM EVO has a full load displacement of approximately 6,500 tons, is equipped with the new Kronos dual-band AESA radar, and has the capabilities of Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, 76 mm naval guns and anti-drone systems. Italy has ordered 2 ships, and Portugal has also announced the purchase of 3 ships this year.

The U.S. Navy is currently studying foreign frigates such as Japan's "Mogami-class", South Korea's "Chungnam-class" and Turkey's "Istanbul-class", and does not even rule out the construction of the first batch of warships overseas. Whether Fincantieri can make a comeback with FREMM EVO remains to be revealed after the US military completes relevant assessments.

Open Questions

When will the U.S. military complete its review of foreign frigate designs?
Does Fincantieri’s FREMM EVO meet the technical and procurement standards of the US military?
Will orders from Italy and Portugal affect the decision-making of the US military?