Fincantieri signs U212 NFS contract with OCCAR

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has been awarded a EUR1.35 billion (USD1.63 billion) contract from European defence procurement agency OCCAR – acting on behalf of the Italian MoD’s Naval Armaments Directorate – for the first increment of the Italian Navy’s U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) programme.

The U212 NFS programme covers the development, construction and delivery of four new boats based on an evolution of the existing U212A Todaro-class air-independent propulsion submarine design, plus a 10-year in-service support package and a new training centre. The U212 NFS is a customised derivative incorporating a number of nationally-developed technology insertions.

Fincantieri’s new contract, awarded by OCCAR on 26 February, covers the first tranche of the programme. This comprises an order for two boats, non-recurring engineering costs and initial in-service support, with an option for two follow-on submarines, support and ancillaries. Manufacture of the first U212 NFS boat is planned to start in 2022 with delivery scheduled for December 2027. The second boat will follow in January 2029.

The U212 NFS is being built under an industrial cooperation agreement signed between thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Fincantieri in 2018. The evolved design is 1.2 m longer, and is distinguished by a new sail incorporating a full suite of electrically hoisted sensor and communication masts. Other changes include modifications to the rudder surfaces and propellers to improve hydrodynamics and reduce noise, and a new fluoropolymer foul release hull coating.