Italy advances FREMM EVO programme as Portugal signs for three frigates under SAFE

A rendering of the second-of-class FREMM EVO frigate for the Italian Navy, Aviere, displayed at the steel cutting for the vessel on 23 July 2026. (Italian Navy)

Italy has advanced construction of its next-generation FREMM EVO (Evolution) frigate programme while in the same week in July 2026 Portugal signed a government-to-government agreement to acquire three FREMM EVO frigates under a European Union's (EU's) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan.

In April 2026 Fincantieri cut steel for the first FREMM EVO frigate for the Italian Navy, Bersagliere . The construction milestone for the first-of-class was followed on 23 July by the steel cutting for the second-of-class, Aviere , at Fincantieri's Riva Trigoso yard.

The two ships are being procured under a July 2024 contract amendment signed between the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) and Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) – the Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%) joint venture (JV) – for delivery to the Italian Navy in 2029 and 2030.

According to Fincantieri, the FREMM EVO will have the SADOC 4 cyber-resilient Combat Management System (CMS), improvements to its electronic warfare (EW) systems, artillery and missile systems, sonar suite, communication system, tactical data links, counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) capability, and integration for unmanned systems. It will have fixed-face X-C dual-band radars designed to help protect against threats including short- to medium-range ballistic missiles.

Portuguese EVOs

On 20 July Portugal's Ministry of National Defence (MND) signed the government-to-government agreement for three FREMM EVO frigates for the Portuguese Navy, with associated logistic support services, it announced in a release.