Naviris, Eurosam snap up €1.5 billion deal to upgrade Horizon-class frigates

Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has awarded Naviris and Eurosam a contract for the mid-mife upgrade (MLU) of the French and Italian Horizon-class frigates. 

The two co-contractors, Naviris and eurosam, will work in close relationship with their shareholders, Fincantieri and Naval Group for the frigate, MBDA Italia, MBDA France and Thales for the new generation of Principal Anti-Air Missile System & Long-Range Radar (PAAMS & LRR).

As disclosed, in the coming days Naviris will finalize subcontracts, including the one with Fincantieri, which will have a value of 211 million euros and constitutes a major related party transaction defined in compliance with the relevant applicable regulations.

With this upgrade, Horizon class frigates will receive a modernization of the entire vessel and the enhancement of their anti-warfare capabilities.

New weapon systems and associated command and control, and electronic warfare suites will provide highest capabilities and performances against the most modern threats.

Regarding anti-air warfare, the new generation of PAAMS & LRR is a very significant upgrade and the system will be able to defeat the threats of the decade to come as missiles (hypersonic, ballistic, supersonic sea-skimmer, high velocity cruise), UAVs and highly maneuvering aircrafts, in a saturation attack scenario.

The value of the contract for Naviris and Eurosam is 1.5 billion euros.

“This contract is a fundamental step for Naviris in demonstrating its capability to execute a multinational programme and it further reinforces the role of the joint venture as center of gravity in the cooperation among Fincantieri and Naval Group, also with the partnership of Leonardo and SIGEN (ELT and Thales),” Damien Raby, Naviris’ CEO and Enrico Bonetti, Naviris’ COO stated.

“PAAMS & LRR, unique System deployed on the four French and Italian frigates, has been successfully engaged all over the world for more than 15 years in synergies with PAAMS & LRR – UK variant deployed on the six Type-45 destroyers. This new generation of PAAMS & LRR for the frigates, developed and produced by eurosam through MBDA Italia, MBDA France and Thales and integrated jointly with Naviris on the frigates, relies on an enhanced missile (ASTER Block 1 NT), an upgraded launcher, two new AESA radars (Kronos Grand Naval from Leonardo and SMART-L MM/N from Thales) and a new open software architecture command and control system,” Eva Bruxmeier, Managing Director of eurosam stated.

The Horizon frigates were originally built between 2000 and 2010 as part of a joint programme between Fincantieri and Naval Group, providing the Italian and French navies with innovative frigates with anti-air capabilities. The PAAMS & LRR system was originally developed and produced, under eurosam responsibility, for the four Horizon class frigates.