Italy: Riva Trigoso Shipyard Celebrates Launch of Frigate “Virginio Fasan”

Following the launch of the “Carlo Bergamini” last July, yesterday Riva Trigoso (Genoa) shipyard celebrated the launch of the frigate “Virginio Fasan”, which is due for delivery at the end of 2012. The vessel is the second of a series of Fremm vessels – Multi Mission European Frigates – which were ordered from Fincantieri by the Italian Navy within the framework of an Italo-French program of cooperation.

Godmother to the ship was Mrs Gina Fasan, daughter of the officer Virginio Fasan. The frigate was named in honour of the 3rd Class Chief Mechanic of the Navy who drowned in the waters of Asinara on 9 September 1943 on board the destroyer “Vivaldi”. Virginio Fasan took part in all the war operations carried out by the vessel and was awarded a silver medal for his service in the waters of Pantelleria in June 1942.

Present at the ceremony were, Gianluigi Magri, Undersecretary for Defence, Vice Admiral Luigi Binelli Mantelli, Commander in Chief of the Navy, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri and Corrado Antonini, Chairman of Fincantieri.
The vessel, which will be delivered in mid 2013, will feature a high degree of flexibility, capable of operating in all tactical situations. 139 metres long with a beam of 19.7 metres, the ship will have a displacement at full load of approximately 5,900 tonnes. The “Virginio Fasan” will have a maximum speed of over 27 knots and will provide accommodation for a crew of 145.

The ships in the FREMM program constitute state of the art vessels of European and Italian defence in the Mediterranean and will replace the “Lupo” and “Maestrale” class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.
Participating in the initiative as prime contractor for Italy is Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri, 49% Finmeccanica) and, as prime contractor for France, Armaris (DCNS + Thales).

The cooperation has drawn on the highly positive experience of the previous Italo-French program “Orizzonte” under which two frigates were built for the Italian Navy, the ”Andrea Doria” and the “Caio Duilio”.

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Naval Today Staff , April 02, 2012; Image: orizontesn