The launching ceremony of the frigate “Emilio Bianchi” was held today at the integrated shipyard of Riva Trigoso, the last of a series of 10 FREMMs – European multi-mission frigates, commissioned by the Italian Navy to Fincantieri as part of the Italian Forces – French International Cooperation Agreement, in coordination With OCCAR, the Joint Organization for European Arms Cooperation.
The godmother of the launch was Mrs. Maria Elisabetta Bianchi, daughter of Gold Medal for Military Valor Emilio Bianchi.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Enrico Credendino, and was received by the President of Fincantieri, General Claudio Graziano, and the General Director of the Military Ships Department of Fincantieri, Dario Deste. Also participating were, among others, the President of the Regional Council, Gianmarco Medusi, the Director of the Joint Organization for Arms Cooperation (OCCAR), Joachim Sucre, and the civil and military authorities.
After the launch, the unit will continue construction activities at the Muggiano shipyard, in La Spezia, and will be delivered in the summer of 2025. The “Emilio Bianchi” ship, like other FREMM ships, will be characterized by high flexibility of use and will have the ability to operate in all situations. Tactical. With a length of 144 meters, a width of 19.7 meters and a full load displacement of about 6,700 tons, it will be able to reach a speed of more than 27 knots with a maximum capacity of about 200 people on board.
In the maritime defense sector, the European multi-mission frigate FREMM is the most important joint initiative developed between European industries. The FREMM programme, which represents the state-of-the-art of Italian and European defence, was born from the need to renew the line of naval units, including the “Lupo” and “Maestrale” classes, built by Fincantieri in the 1970s and 1980s.
It was delivered in 2012 Carlo Bergaminiin the year 2013 Virginio Fasanin 2014 Carlo Margotiniin 2015 Carabinierein 2016 Alpsin 2017 Luigi Rizzoin 2018 Federico Martinengoin 2019 Antonio Marseglia And in November 2023 Spartacus Shergat Currently in advanced preparation phase at the integrated shipyard’s factories and scheduled for delivery in April 2025.
Constellation program in the United States
In the United States, the US Department of Defense awarded the American subsidiary to Fincantieri, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) has signed a contract worth more than $1 billion to build the fifth and sixth “Constellation”-class frigates for the US Navy.
The total value of the contract for the first frigate and the option for 9 additional ships, signed in 2020, is approximately $5.5 billion and includes after-sales support and crew training.
In this very prestigious tender, Fincantieri was able to impose itself over its American competitors thanks to a project considered the most advanced and innovative. In fact, the Group’s proposal is based on the FREMM frigate platform, considered the best in the world from a technological point of view, and on which is based a ten-unit program for the Italian Navy, which the Group is currently working on completing in Italian shipyards.
The first frigate, the future USS Constellation, is currently being built at a shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin, which has recently been the subject of a major investment program to improve and upgrade infrastructure.
FMM represents the spearhead of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), which controls two other sites also in the Great Lakes (Wisconsin) region – Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri Ace Marine – and includes commercial and government clients. FMM is also involved in the Littoral Combat Ship programs, also for the US Navy, and Multi-Mission Surface Combatants (MMSC), for Saudi Arabia as part of the US Foreign Military Sales plan.
Source and photo @Fincantieri
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