Today, Fincantieri, one of the world’s leading shipbuilding groups and reference operator in the naval shipbuilding industry, and OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matiere d’Armement, the international organization for joint armament cooperation) will sign the contract for the construction of 2 new-generation submarines, according to the company's release.
Such contract, in which Fincantieri will act as prime contractor, 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 euros.
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. It also aims at upholding and further developing Fincantieri’s acquired strategic and innovative industrial know-how, as well as consolidating the technological lead attained by the company and its supply chain, enhancing the presence of technologically-advanced component parts developed by Italian industries on board.