The Italian Navy has taken delivery of its newest frigate, Federico Martinengo.
The delivery ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard, La Spezia, on April 24.
The newbuild is the seventh of a series of ten vessels of the FREMM program – Multi Mission European Frigates – commissioned to Fincantieri as part of the international Italian-French program, coordinated by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation.
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali — 51% Fincantieri and 49% Leonardo — is the prime contractor for Italy in the FREMM program, which envisions the construction of ten units, all already ordered.
Launched in March 2017, Federico Martinengo is the third multipurpose variant following the deliveries of Carlo Bergamini and Luigi Rizzo in 2013 and 2017, respectively. Other units in the class delivered so far are ASW-oriented. Italy will eventually operate six general purpose variants and four anti-submarine variants.
With a length of 144 meters and a displacement of 6,700 tons, the FREMM frigates are designed to reach a maximum speed of 27 knots and provide accommodation for 200 people.
The FREMM program ships are to replace Italian Navy Lupo- and Maestrale class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.