Italian Navy To Join the Dots on Shipbuilding Plans

Following an announcement earlier this year by the Italian Navy's chief admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, the service's head of ship design is preparing to elaborate on plans and partnership potential at the annual Surface Warships conference being held in the UK in January 2014.

"The Italian Navy is currently working to start a shipbuilding programme which would include different types of platforms, including a multirole patrol vessels, a multirole amphibious ship, a logistic support vessel and a multirole submarine support vessel," Captain Sergio Simone told Defence IQ ahead of his address, explaining that ageing destroyers, frigates, patrol ships and corvettes are all in need of urgent replacement.

The conference organisers add that Italy has recently become a world leader in modern surface warship design, having been part of the multinational design and delivery of the FREMM vessel programme first commissioned by the French Navy in 2012.

Other nations representing plans for upgrades and procurement include Denmark, which hopes to enhance the capabilities of its offshore patrol vessels operating off Greenland, and Spain, which is now developing the F-110 multipurpose frigate for full service in 2025.

Surface Warships 2014 (February 30-31, Portsmouth, UK) is sponsored by Navantia, Saab, Cassidian and MTU. The full agenda and further information can be found at http://www.surfacewarships.com