Navantia, Fincantieri, and Naval Group, together with Naviris, have signed the initial consortium agreement which aims to start the second phase (Call 2) of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette (MMPC) Project.
The MMPC Call 2 project builds on the first MMPC project (from 2021) and is part of the PESCO framework, which focuses on European defense cooperation.
This new phase involves more commitment from industry partners, and the European Commission (EC) has chosen the proposal, providing a maximum budget of €154.5 million from the European Defence Fund (EDF).
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European Commission selects MMPC program for development phase
The European Commission has tasked OCCAR-EA with managing this next phase.
Italy, Spain, France, and Greece will each contribute funding to the project, showing their “shared commitment to improving security and defense across Europe”, as outlined in PESCO and by the European Commission.
The second phase of the MMPC Project aims at completing the design of the corvettes and integrating new technological bricks which will enable the vessels to host several systems and payloads and perform a broader range of tasks and missions.
Furthermore, the second phase of the project will encompass the start of the production of the two first prototypes of the corvettes: one long-range multipurpose version (LRM) and one full combat multipurpose version (FCM).
“Based on innovative and disruptive technologies, the new class will feature a group of smart, innovative, affordable, sustainable, interoperable and flexible vessels designed to meet a wide range of missions,” according to the company.
Depending on the requirements specified by each navy, the ships will be able to carry out a wide range of missions in operational contexts as diverse as surveillance on the high seas with a high degree of autonomy, or law enforcement and sovereignty affirmation missions closer to the coast.