Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture between Fincantieri and Leonardo, has signed a €3.7 billion contract with the Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement (OCCAR) for the development and production of two new-generation DDX destroyers for the Italian Navy.
The contract, signed on September 24, includes approximately €1.3 billion in options and covers the development, production, logistic studies and Initial In-Service Support (ISS) of the two ships.
As part of the program, OSN will enter into sub-supply contracts with Fincantieri and Leonardo worth approximately €1.8 billion and €1.7 billion, respectively. The Fincantieri contract includes approximately €800 million in options, while the Leonardo contract includes approximately €480 million in options.
Fincantieri will serve as the platform system integrator, while Leonardo will be responsible for the combat system.
The DDX program will introduce new capabilities in air and missile defense and is designed for operations within highly interconnected multinational forces. The ships will feature digitalized and automated systems integrating sensors, weapons, multi-domain command-and-control systems and platform management systems.
The platform will include a DC power sub-network with an associated energy storage system, a stabilization system integrated with the steering system, new methods for calculating thermal and electrical balances, and further digital developments of the Ship Management System.
Leonardo's combat system will combine the new-generation SADOC 5 C5I, a high-power fully digital S-band AESA radar and MBDA's weapon system. According to the companies, the system will provide integrated air and missile defense against missile, ballistic and hypersonic threats.
The DDX platform will be 180 meters long and have a displacement of approximately 13,500 tons, a range of 4,000 nautical miles and a crew of 251.
Fincantieri said the ships will incorporate its Navis Sapiens concept, which uses onboard data from different systems to support operational decision-making, technical management and lifecycle support.
The ships will also be designed to operate unmanned systems. At a speed of 15 knots, each destroyer will be capable of managing underwater and surface unmanned assets through a digital backbone developed by Fincantieri.
“The DDX programme represents a strategic milestone for Fincantieri and for Italy’s national defence industry. It is one of the most significant naval programmes launched in Italy in recent years and confirms Fincantieri’s role as an industrial and technological reference point in the design and integration of complex naval systems," Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri, said.
"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 first DDX destroyer is scheduled for delivery in 2033, with the second ship scheduled for delivery in 2035.