Keel laid for Italian Navy's first FREMM EVO frigate

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has held a keel-laying ceremony for the first of two new FREMM EVO frigates slated for the Italian Navy.

The ceremony took place at Fincantieri's Riva Trigoso shipyard on Thursday, July 8.

The €1.5 billion (US$1.6 billion) contract for the construction of the two new frigates was signed in July 2024 between Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri and Leonardo, and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. Delivery of the first unit is scheduled for 2029, with the second to follow in 2030.

According to the builder, the new FREMM EVO frigates will feature state-of-the-art technology, including the latest anti-drone capabilities. The vessels will also have the capacity for operational management of unmanned systems across the air, sea surface, and subsea domains.

The anti-submarine warfare capabilities and features of some of the earlier FREMM ships currently in service with the Italian Navy will also be available in the two FREMM EVO vessels.