Fincantieri: Keel laid for Italian Navy’s first FREMM EVO frigate

July 9, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

Italian shipbuilding major Fincantieri has laid the keel for the first of two new FREMM EVO frigates to be built for the Italian Navy.

The ceremony took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso on July 8, 2025. The contract for the construction of two new FREMM EVO (Evolution) frigates was signed in July 2024 by OCCAR and the prime contractor Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), within the framework of the long-standing Franco-Italian FREMM cooperation program.

The steel-cutting ceremony happened in April of this year. The first unit will be delivered in 2029, while the second in 2030.

Fincantieri cuts steel for Italian Navy’s first FREMM EVO frigate

Vessels

The vessels will feature the latest anti-drone capabilities and the capacity for the operational management of unmanned systems across three dimensions (above the surface, on the sea, and below the surface).

More specifically, the main modernizations and technological upgrades will concern the ship management system, the air-conditioning and electrical distribution system, and the implementation of specific solutions aimed at improving the ship’s green footprint for the platform system.

Furthermore, the combat system will be upgraded with the modern combat management system SADOC 4, radar sensors (specifically with fixed-face X-C dual-band radars), which will be able to support defense against TBM threats, electronic warfare, and artillery and missile systems. The ships will also have the sonar suite, communication systems, and tactical data links, capable of ensuring the “highest level of interoperability”.

To date, 17 FREMM frigates have been delivered: nine to Italy (out of twelve planned) and eight to France (out of eight). The tenth Italian FREMM, Nave Emilio Bianchi, is set to be delivered by the end of July.