FREMM Class Frigates of the Italian Navy In the early 2000s, the The prime contractors of FREMM variants. Italy's desire French and Italian Navies the FREMM program were to provide its ships with had a common problem. the French Aramis joint area air defense capability by Cem Devrim YAYLALI Various ships of both venture between DCNS (now resulted in the selection of Six of the ten FREMM class naval forces were rapidly Naval Group) and Thales, the EMPAR multifunctional vessels built for the Italian aging, reaching the end working in collaboration radar, which is also used Navy are general-purpose of their useful service lives, with the Italian Orizzonte onboard the Horizon class frigates mainly designed and unable to respond to Sistemi Navali (OSN) vessels. Additionally, the for surface warfare (ASuW) current threats. consortium of Fincantieri Italian FREMMs incorporate scenarios, while four and Finmeccanica. The Sylver A50 Vertical Launching of the ships are in anti- The French navy wanted overall supervision of System (VLS) modules, submarine warfare (ASW) to replace their Tourville, the procurement was which can support Aster configuration. Georges Leygues, and allocated to the European 30 medium-range surface- D’Estienne D’Orves class intergovernmental to-air missiles. Another The contract for the first two ships, while the Italian navy organization OCCAR significant difference ships, one general-purpose wanted to replace their (Organization for Joint between the two countries' and one anti-submarine Lupo and Maestrale class Armament Cooperation). ships is their length. French warfare configuration, was ships. The mentioned ships Influenced by the success ships are 142.2 meters long, signed in 2005. The first were commissioned in the of the preceding Horizon while Italian ships are 143.9 general-purpose frigate ITS late 1970s and mid-1980s, project, both countries meters. The difference Carlo Bergamini (F-590) was and they needed to be decided to join forces in arises from the lengthening launched in 2011, followed replaced. further collaboration. of the vessel to overcome by the anti-submarine some balance problems The FREMM (Fregate warfare ship ITS Virginio However, both navies had experienced in the first Italian Europeen Multi-Missione) Fasan (F-591) in 2012. different expectations ship. Since the added part project initially started as a from this project. The Italian incorporates additional fuel In 2008, Italy ordered national project in France operational requirements tanks, the maximum cruising four additional ships, one and became a multinational have resulted in notable range of the Italian vessels general-purpose and with Italy's participation in differences in visual is slightly longer than the three anti-submarine 2002. appearance and capability French ones. warfare configurations. compared to the French The last batch of four ships, 102 all in general-purpose configuration, were ordered in 2013. The last ship of the class, ITS Emilio Bianchi (F-589), was planned to be commissioned in 2021 before the Covid-19 outbreak. With a displacement of around 6,700 tons, the FREMM class frigates have an overall length of 144m, a beam of 19.7m, and a draught of 5.1m. The Italian FREMM frigates are powered by a CODLAG (Combined diesel-electric and gas) propulsion frontline warships. The deck with the bridge on helicopter hangar has an system. A single GE/Avio VLS modules are placed in either side of the mainmast. approximately 270-degree LM 2500+G4 gas turbine, front of the superstructure The launchers of Teseo or continuous firing arc thanks which is rated at 32MW, just behind the ship's main MILAS missiles are placed to its elevated position. can sustain a top speed gun. The small mast on between the mast and The flight deck is located of 27 knots. The ship's the bridge houses the the main exhaust funnel. at the stern of the vessel primary source of electrical fire control and surface Against air and underwater and incorporates a Curtis- energy is supplied by surveillance radar, and just threats, two OTO Melara Wright TC-ASIST recovery four sets of 2.1MW diesel behind it, the mainmast of SCLAR-H decoy launchers system to assist safe generators manufactured the vessel rises, featuring are positioned abreast the handling and recovery. by Isotta Fraschini. The two small exhausts on its funnel on both sides of the The ASW type ships have a generators permit electric either side. Resembling ship. The antennas of various variable depth towed sonar propulsion up to speeds a Padoga, the most eye- satellite communication array housed in a room of around 12 knots. The catching systems on the systems are installed in below the flight deck. diesel-electric propulsion mainmast are the Kronos the area between the Italian FREMM frigates is especially preferred for radar inside the spherical exhaust funnel and the incorporate two 8-cell anti-submarine warfare as radome at the top, and the 76mm gun mounted Sylver A50 VLS modules it generates less noise than ESM sensors immediately on the starboard roof of capable of launching gas turbine propulsion. below the radome with the helicopter hangar. 16 Aster 15 and Aster 30 The ships have a range of a collar of IFF antennas The ships also have two missiles in total. Both 6,000 nautical miles and positioned slightly lower positions for rigid inflatable FREMM types are fitted could carry enough food for down. boats (RIBs) located to with the MBDA Teseo Mk about 40 days. The vessel port and starboard of The 25mm autocannons 2/A surface-to-surface can accommodate 165 crew the main exhaust funnel. are located on the same missile, which can be members. This number may The 76mm gun on the ultimately increase to 200 by installing more cabin units in the space currently reserved for Sylver A70 VLS cells, providing additional accommodation space. The appearance of the Italian FREMMs is heavily influenced by previous La Fayette class ships commissioned by the French Navy in the 1990s. The vessels' design reflects the attention to stealth that is apparent in all modern Two 8-cell Sylver A50 VLS Modules of Italian FREMM 103 array radar. The KRONOS radar family was created by the redesign of the Selex EMPAR naval radar following the purchase of Italian defence and electronics manufacturer Selex by Leonardo. The Kronos can identify and then track potential hostile targets out to a range of more than 300 nautical miles and can control engagements with Aster missiles, directing them towards the target via data uplink. The first eight ships are equipped with © Defence Turkey the SPS-791 air/surface Counter Measure Decoy & Weapon Systems surveillance radar, while the last two frigates have used against both surface with a pair of Oto Melara launchers for MU90 SPS-732. Additionally, ships and coastal targets. Oerlikon KBA 25mm/80 Impact torpedoes which each vessel is fitted with Ships in general-purpose guns that have limited are also used by the co- three SPN-753 navigation configuration can carry air-defense capability. operating ASW helicopter. radars for safe navigation. up to eight Teseo missiles. The 25mm autocannons The fire-control roles of The hangar on ships When necessary, the on the last two ships of the naval guns on the is large enough to ASW type frigates can be the class will be replaced ships are carried out by accommodate two SH- deployed with half of this with remote-controlled two Selex MSTIS (multi- 90 helicopters (the name loadout, using the other weapon stations. The sensor target indicator given to the NH-90 four launchers for MILAS manual mounts of the system) NA-25XP radars. anti-submarine missiles. 25mm autocannons on helicopters by the Italian the other vessels will also Navy) or one SH-90 and For offensive anti- Both hull configurations be replaced with remote- one AW-101 helicopter. submarine operations look very similar in terms of controlled systems in the Helicopters are used for and frigate self-defense, their external appearance. future. various missions, primarily both types have Thales The most significant the anti-submarine UMS 4110 CL hull-mounted distinction between the For anti-submarine warfare. sonar. The anti-submarine two types is the general- warfare (ASW) operations, ships are also fitted The ships' primary sensor purpose ships use the new both vessel types are with Thales UMS 4249 is the Leonardo Kronos OTO Melara (now Leonardo) fitted with two Eurotorp/ (CAPTAS-4) variable- Grand Naval (MFRA) Active 127/64 Lightweight (LW) WASS (Leonardo) B513 depth sonar housed in a electronically scanned naval gun system capable 324mm triple torpedo handling room below the of firing Vulcano extended flight deck. These systems range munitions. On the form an integrated sonar other hand, the vessels in suite with mine avoidance the anti-submarine warfare and echo sounding configuration use the capabilities. With this Leonardo 76mm/62 Super integrated sonar suite, Rapid defense systems including B513 torpedo (STRALES) as their primary tubes and SLAT torpedo gun in place of the 127/64 defense system, the LW gun. ASW type frigates can effectively combat For close-in ship defense, underwater threats. all FREMM frigates are equipped with Advanced protection one 76mm/62 Super systems are installed Rapid defense systems © Defence Turkey on Italian FREMM Class (STRALES) naval gun and KRONOS MRFA frigates for self-defense 104 used for jamming enemy © Defence Turkey communications and radar systems, is located aft of the ship's hangar on the port side, while the other is on the mainmast under the navigation radar. This system uses an active phased array transmitter. Italy started the FREMM project together with France, however visually similar yet quite different ships were emerged according to the needs and budgets of both countries.