Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), the Fincantieri-Leonardo joint venture, has signed a contract with the Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement (OCCAR) for two DDX destroyers for the Italian Navy.
The agreement is worth approximately €3.7bn ($4.2bn), including around €1.3bn in options. It covers the ships’ development and production, logistics studies and initial in-service support.
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According to Fincantieri, the first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2033 and the second in 2035.
OSN, which is owned 51% by Fincantieri and 49% by Leonardo, is expected to award related sub-supply contracts valued at approximately €1.8bn to Fincantieri and €1.7bn to Leonardo.
The Fincantieri package includes around €800m in options, while Leonardo’s includes approximately €480m.
Fincantieri will design and develop the naval platform and act as system integrator. Leonardo will be responsible for the combat system, which is intended to connect the ships’ sensors, weapon systems and command-and-control functions.
The DDX ships are intended to provide the Italian Navy with an updated air and missile defence capability and will replace the service’s Horizon-class destroyers.
Each vessel is planned to be 180m long, with a displacement of 13,500t, a range of 4,000 nautical miles and a crew of 251.
The combat system will feature Leonardo’s SADOC 5 C5I, a digital S-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and a weapon system supplied by MBDA.
According to the companies, the integrated air and missile defence system would be designed to address missile, ballistic and hypersonic threats.
This layout will also incorporate a next-generation electronic warfare suite developed by Elt Group, alongside artillery and close-in defence systems utilizing advanced smart munitions.
In addition, the ships are being designed for operations with multinational forces. Their systems are intended to support information sharing and interoperability across air, land, sea, cyber and space-linked operational environments.
Planned platform features include a direct-current power sub-network with energy storage, a stabilisation system integrated with steering, and revised methods for calculating thermal and electrical loads.
The ships will also use further digital development of the Ship Management System.
Fincantieri said the DDX will incorporate what it describes as an “electronic brain”, using a digital architecture to collect and correlate data from onboard systems for operational decision-making, technical management and lifecycle support.
In addition, the vessels would be able to manage uncrewed surface and underwater assets through a digital backbone when travelling at 15 knots.
The system is intended to coordinate those assets with the ship’s detection and protection functions, while managing propulsion and electrical-system consumption.
The companies also said the platform would connect with shore-based digital infrastructure to support data sharing, predictive maintenance and digital logistics.
These functions are intended to provide information for onboard operations and the long-term management of the ships.
Fincantieri chief executive officer and general manager Pierroberto Folgiero said: “The DDX programme represents a strategic milestone for Fincantieri and for Italy’s national defence industry.
“With DDX, we are further strengthening our leadership in the naval defence sector and investing in the development of expertise, technologies and the supply chain, helping to consolidate Italy’s industrial and technological sovereignty and the country’s competitiveness in the European naval defence sector.”
The two planned sub-supply agreements are classified as related-party transactions of greater significance for Fincantieri and Leonardo.
The companies said the transactions would follow applicable regulations and benefit from an exemption for dealings with subsidiaries, including jointly controlled subsidiaries.
Separately, Fincantieri has delivered the PPA multipurpose combat ship Domenico Millelire to the Italian Navy at its Muggiano yard in La Spezia.
The vessel forms part of the Navy’s fleet renewal plan, which was approved by the Italian government and parliament and is being implemented under OCCAR.
