The Italian Navy Welcomes Its Third NFS Submarine from Fincantieri
OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement, the global entity for collaborative armament efforts) has initiated the construction of the third state-of-the-art submarine linked to the U212NFS (Near Future Submarine) initiative for the Italian Navy, assigned to Fincantieri. The craft has a total valuation exceeding euro 500 million, encompassing the integrated support service, and is expected to be delivered by 2030.
The prospective program evolution also anticipates an additional 160 million for forthcoming activities or the provisioning of specific advanced capabilities required by the Navy.
The U212NFS submarines will be exceptionally groundbreaking, featuring substantial design enhancements that will all be independently developed by Fincantieri, which serves as the Design Authority per the Navy’s stipulations. This initiative addresses the necessity of ensuring sufficient underwater spatial surveillance and control capacities, considering the imminent intricate scenarios of underwater operations, particularly as the operational lifespan of the 4 “Sauro” class submarines presently in service is nearing its conclusion. Additionally, it strives to uphold and further cultivate Fincantieri’s established strategic and innovative industrial expertise, while also reinforcing the technological supremacy attained by the organization and its supply chain, which includes major industries as well as small and medium-sized enterprises within the sector, amplifying the deployment of technologically advanced components produced by Italian manufacturers.
The roles that submarines undertake for the benefit of the community are diverse. On a daily basis, Navy submarines are tasked with the monitoring of maritime communication routes and the underwater domain, particularly within NATO and EU partnerships. This is a position that is becoming increasingly vital given the nation’s interests lying beneath the ocean’s surface, ranging from seabed resources to underwater energy and communication infrastructures.
