Fincantieri to Build Two €1.35B-Worth New-Gen Submarines for Italy

Fincantieri said today it will sign a contract with OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matiere d’Armement, the international organization for joint armament cooperation) for the construction of 2 new-generation submarines for the Italian Navy.

The contract envisages an option for 2 additional units and is part of the new U212NFS (Near Future Submarine) acquisition program of the Italian Navy.

The total contract value for the first two vessels, including relevant logistics support, amounts to €1.35 billion.

Fincantieri will be the prime contractor. The project is an evolution of the U212A program carried out in cooperation with the German thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, which resulted in the production of 4 submarines for Italy – “Todaro”, “Scirè”, “Venuti” and “Romei”, delivered by Fincantieri between 2006 and 2017 – and 6 for Germany. According to highly reliable analyses, the technological content of these air-independent propulsion submarines determined the shift in the balance between nuclear and conventional vessels in the postwar period.

With the first two deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2029, the U212NFS program stems from the need to secure adequate underwater spatial surveillance and control capacity, considering the future complex scenarios of underwater operations and that the operational lifetime of the 4 “Sauro” class submarines, currently in service, is drawing near.

Fincantieri CEO, Giuseppe Bono, commented: “We are proud that the recognition of our skills by the Italian Navy and the German partner has brought about a change in the relations, thus securing – on the one hand – our role as design authority, on the other as prime contractor. We are going to take a real technological leap forward compared to the submarines of the previous class, starting with the design and the combat system developed along with Leonardo, which we are in charge of integrating on-board. This will allow Italy to continue being a main actor among the limited group of Countries that can build such advanced units.”