The Italian Navy received its sixth FREMM frigate from Fincantieri during a ceremony held at the shipbuilder’s Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard on April 20.
The Carlo Bergamini-class frigate Luigi Rizzo is the second general-purpose variant with the previous four vessels being built for the anti-submarine warfare role.
FREMM frigates are built within the international Italian-French program, coordinated by OCCAR (the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation).
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Finmeccanica (49%), is the prime contractor for Italy in the FREMM program.
The 144-meter frigate displaces approximately 6,700 tonnes and is capable of reaching a speed of over 27 knots with accommodation for a 200-person crew.
The FREMM program ships are set to replace the Lupo- and Maestrale-class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.
Future ITS Luigi Rizzo was launched in December 2015 and started sea trials in May 2016.