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By Jurrien Noot The structure of the Italian Armed Forces is guided by the 2002 Defence White Paper which is the last such document published. As reflected in the 'Linee Guida del Capo di Stato Maggiore della Marina Mil- itare – Anno 2010', the Italian Navy expected dur- ing 2010 to witness the completion, integration and acceptance of the combat systems of the aircraft car- rier Cavour and the Horizon class destroyers. During the year studies were carried out to determine the operational requirements for new classes to be in- troduced: a logistic support ship (LSS) class, an am- phibious assault ship (LHD), a hydrographic survey vessel, a submarine rescue vessel (ARS/NAI) and a submarine support ship (LRSS). Procurement programs All Contracting is handled through the Direzione Generale degli Armamenti Navali (NAVARM). Nuova portaerei (Cavour) program On 22 November 2000, a contract was signed be- tween Fincantieri and the Italian Ministry of Defense to construct an aircraft carrier, then known as a ‘new major vessel’ (Nuova Unità Maggiore NUM). Pro- jected cost is estimated at EUR1,390 million. First steel of the new vessel, initially known as Andrea Doria but then renamed as Cavour, was cut at Fin- cantieri Riva Trigoso Shipyard on 31 July 2001. She conducted first trials in December 2006. The ship was to be delivered in 2008 but this has been post- poned to 2013. This unit was, in the early stages of planning, referred to as the Luigi Einaudi. Type 212A submarine program The construction of Type 212A submarines fol- lows a Memorandum of Understanding signed be- tween Germany and Italy on 22 April 1996. An order for two Type 212A submarines was reportedly placed in March 1998. Both have been delivered. Two additional Type 212A units were authorized by the Parliamentary Defense Committee in March 2008. The second batch is expected to be delivered by 2016. Projected overall cost is EUR1,885 million split in EUR970 million for the first batch and EUR915 million for the second batch. Orizzonte air defense frigates The Orizzonte air defence frigate program is exe- cuted in cooperation with France through the Hori- zon SAS joint venture, a 50:50 joint venture between French and Italian contractors, with Thales and Di- rection des Constructions Navales (DCN) represent- ing France and the Orizzonte consortium made up of Finmecanica and Fincantieri representing Italy. The program currently involves the construction of two (of a total of four) units. Overall cost of the pro- gram is circa EUR1,500 million. The two units are expected to be completed by 2013. No decision ap- pears to have been taken on the two additional frigates; they do not show in recent budget docu- ments. Fregate di nuova generazione/European Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM) On 10 April 2002, a 10-unit frigate program to re- place the Lupo and Maestrale class frigates was ap- proved by the Italian senate and house parliamentary defense committees to replace four Lupo class frigates already withdrawn from service and eight Maestrale class frigates. The cost of the program was estimated at EUR5,680 million. There will be two variants: four anti submarine warfare (ASW) ships and six for general purpose/land attack. On 7 No- vember 2002, agreement was reached for a com- bined 27-ship collaborative programme with France, called the European MultiMission Frigate (FREMM) program. The MoU for this program was signed by the French and Italian Defence Ministers on 13 June 2003. By February 2004, agreement had been reached on a common 5,600 ton platform pow- ered by gas turbines with a speed of 27.5 kts. The French and Italian Defence Ministers signed a joint procurement agreement on 25 October 2004 for 27 frigates, 17 for the French Navy and 10 for the Ital- ian Navy. The Italian part of the program is currently expected to be completed by 2019. Funding for these units is outside the regular annual budget submis- sions. Continuity of the program has been guaran- teed by a special financial law (No 266 dated 23 December 2005). The first two units were ordered on 9 May 2006. The second batch of four units was ordered on 30 January 2008. First steel was cut for the lead unit at Fincantieri Riva Trigoso Shipyard on 4 February 2008. The six units presently on order or under construction comprise two of the general pur- pose (GP) and four of the anti-submarine (A/S) ver- sion. OPV project During 2009 references were made to a OPV pro- 22 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News FEATURE NAVY Italy Budgets Rising Steadily Italian Defense Budget 2005-2010 (Amounts in EURO Millions) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Overall 19021.7 17782.2 20194.8 21132.4 20294.3 20364.4 20494.6 Defence function 13638.6 12106.7 14448.8 15408.3 14339.5 14295 14327.6 Defence function: investment 2588 1,1511.5 3272 3635 2885.3 3187.4 3453.7 Navy: total 2668.6 2202 2706.6 2769.2 2725 2725.7 2801.3 Navy: investment 719 297.8 803.3 856 773 770.3 866.1 Horizon (An- drea Doria) class Caio Duilio (D554) fitting out. (Photo: Fincatiieri)
