Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced that the keel laying ceremony for the first two FREMM EVO frigates, succeeding the GP and ASW variants of the line.
The keel-laying ceremony for the first of the two FREMM EVO frigates for Italy was held in the Riva Trigoso shipyard. The contract for the construction of the two new units was signed in July 2024 between Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) and OCCAR. The frigates will be delivered in 2029 and 2030.
The Italian Navy is set to commission two FREMM GP-e frigates, which combine GP and ASW capabilities as a prelude to EVO in terms of being truly multipurpose.
New Capabilities of FREMM EVO
Mostly using the FREMM ASW hull, FREMM EVO is a new territory in capabilities with a whole new radar suite and extended weapons capacity.
The most important changes to the sensor suite include the Kronos Dual Band AESA radar system, combining four X-band and C-band radars. C-band acts as the long-range radar, while X-band is used for shorter ranges with a broader target set. The radar will also allow the tracking of short-range ballistic missiles to allow ballistic missile defence capability.
Armament changes include another set of 16 Sylver VLS systems in full length for MdCN land attack cruise missiles and capability for Aster 30 Block 1NT long-range air defence missiles (New version of Aster 30 Block 1 with Ka-band seeker and improved BMD capabilities). The new frigates will also use the new Teseo Mk2/E anti-ship missile with IIR+RF seeker and a range of 350+ km in place of the ageing Otomat Mk IV.
The new FREMMs are also stated to have extra C-UAS capabilities with Adrain soft-kill system and Lionfish 30 RCWS using airburst ammunition.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
