15/02/2025
In CSI articles
The Quirinal Treaty and the strategic game: the keys to Franco-Italian relations in the 21st century.
Written by : Titouan BRAUX SALVAYRE.
The article in a nutshell:
For several decades, France and Italy have been joining forces in the naval sector to develop cutting-edge frigates to meet bilateral and European defence challenges.
This cooperation was first illustrated by the Frégates de Défense Aérienne (FDA), designed to protect ships and territory against air threats, and more recently with the FREMM multi-mission frigates, which are flexible and suited to a variety of operations on the high seas. This Franco-Italian partnership has brought significant benefits: economies of scale, sharing of skills and standardisation of equipment to facilitate interoperability. However, it has not been without its challenges: differences in national requirements and industrial processes have sometimes slowed design, and the technical compromises required to satisfy both parties have sometimes impacted on performance. As this cooperation continues to evolve, it is interesting to consider how the two nations might overcome these obstacles and further strengthen their strategic partnership.
The FDA, a successful first move
In June 2023, the Paris Air Show saw the announcement of the signing of a Franco-Italian memorandum of understanding for the mid-life refit (MLU) of the Horizon class frigates of the French Navy and the Marina Militare.
The two countries share the paternity of these FDAs (Air Defence Frigates). The FDAs are frigates specialising in anti-aircraft defence, designed to accompany naval air groups and to protect sensitive areas against air and ballistic missile threats.
In terms of armament, the French FDAs are equipped with two 76mm Oto Melara guns, while the Italian frigates have three, offering a close-in-water defence capability (CIWS). They also have two 20 mm Narwhal guns, while their Italian counterparts have two 25 mm Oerlikon KBA guns. The PAAMS system fitted to both classes comprises 32 Aster 30 and 16 Aster 15 missiles, guaranteeing robust air defence. In terms of offensive armament, the French FDAs are equipped with eight Exocet MM40 Block 3 missiles, while the Italian ones use eight Otomat missiles, with a ground attack capability. Both versions include MU90 torpedo tubes and the option of operating one or two NH90 helicopters. With a range of 7,000 miles at 18 knots and a fuel capacity of 600 tonnes, these frigates can carry out extended operations at sea. Electronically, they are equipped with an S1850M long-range radar and an EMPAR multifunction radar, as well as L16 and L11 tactical data links, enhancing their operational effectiveness.
The programme was launched in 1992 between the two countries, along with the United Kingdom, which withdrew from the project in 1999 when it proved impossible to agree on the desired characteristics of the future ship. Rome and Paris created the Horizon SAS consortium for the occasion, made up of Thales and DCNS (future Naval Group) on the French side, and Finmeccanica (future Leonardo) and Fincantieri on the Italian side.
Construction began in 2002 in Lorient and Genoa respectively, and the first ships set sail in 2005. Today, the FDAs are considered to be good ships, and the cooperation that will continue between the manufacturers for their maintenance is considered to have been successful.
FREMM, a costly design
Keeping up this good momentum, in 2002 Rome took over the originally French project for new generation frigates, leading to a wave of negotiations on industrial needs and allocations.
On 7 November 2002, an agreement was reached in Rome for the two nations to jointly launch the construction of 27 multi-mission frigates (17 for France and ten for Italy), the specifications of which are becoming clearer: weighing around 5,000 tonnes, equipped with ASTER-15 missiles, MU90 light torpedoes, NH90 helicopters and a reduced crew.
The design phase began on 26 December 2002. Some choices in the design aspects were complicated, notably the question of the radars (Alenia Aeronautica or Thales), the hulls, etc. On 26 December, the FMMs, renamed FREMM (Frégates Européennes Multi-Missions), saw their supervision entrusted to DCNS on the French side and to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali on the Italian side, a consortium including the Fincantieri and Finmeccanica shipyards, under the aegis of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). This collaborative model draws on lessons learned from programmes such as the FDA’s Horizon programme. It provided for a joint upstream design phase, as well as the group purchase of the turbine, stabilisation system, electronic warfare system and sonar.
However, in 2013, Patrick Boissier, CEO of DCNS, revealed that less than 10% of the study costs had been pooled, which, taking into account the additional costs associated with specific studies for each national platform as well as coordination costs, reduced the savings to around fifteen million euros. In the end, thanks to this cooperation, France saved around 30 million euros, or only around 1% to 1.5% of the total cost of the programme.
Both countries have encountered major financing problems, which will reduce the number of FREMMs commissioned over time. Initially, the French Navy was to receive 17 FREMMs, but the number was gradually reduced to 11 and then 8. The latest French Multi-Mission Frigate, the Lorraine, like the Alsace, is equipped with twice as many Franco-Italian Aster 15 anti-aircraft missiles as its previous cousins. It was partly with these Aster 15s that French FREEMs destroyed Houti drones threatening merchant vessels in the Red Sea earlier this year, as part of operation EUNAVFOR Aspides. This operation, commissioned by Italy, aims to ensure the prosperity of world trade by protecting merchant ships transiting maritime areas threatened by the Houtis. It is a fine example of Franco-Italian cooperation: Rome successively deployed 2 of its FREMMs (Virginio Fasan and Federico Martinego) and its two FDAs (Caio Diulio and Andrea Doria, which took it in turns to act as flagship), while France sent its FREMM DA Alsace and Lorraine and its FDA Forbin.
Rome, for its part, has placed an order for two additional FREMMs in the summer of 2024, bringing the total number available to 12. These will be built by Orizzonti Sistemi Navali, a company formed almost equally by Fincantieri and Leonardo. Compared with the Carlo Bergamini class ships, FREMM EVO will benefit from major improvements, including an advanced management system, multi-band radar to enhance air protection, and a sophisticated electronic warfare suite. Designed for the future, it will be equipped to operate a variety of UAVs, whether airborne, maritime or underwater. In addition, particular priority will be given to resilience in the face of cyber threats.
Sisterships, really?
Despite their common design, the Italian and French FREMMs are nevertheless very different ships. They have both notable similarities and marked differences in their armament configurations, reflecting their respective naval doctrines.
Both versions of the FREMM are designed to operate in multi-continent environments and offer great versatility thanks to their ability to carry out anti-submarine, anti-ship and air defence missions. Both are equipped with advanced anti-submarine warfare systems, including high-performance sonars and MU90 torpedo launchers. Both classes of frigates also carry the NH90 helicopter, which is capable of firing beyond the horizon, enhancing their long-range strike capability. They also share an anti-aircraft armament consisting of Aster 15 and 30 missiles, launched from Sylver silos.
However, the choice of weapons reveals distinct priorities. The French FREMMs stand out for their ability to carry out land strikes using MdCN cruise missiles, which give them a strategic range of 1,000 km. The Italian FREMMs, on the other hand, focus on the integration of Teseo Mk2 missiles, which offer land attack capabilities but do not reach the range of the MdCN. In terms of artillery, France favours the 76mm OTO Melara gun, while Italy integrates a 127mm system for heavier strikes. In addition, the Italian FREMMs have two MU90 torpedo launchers, compared with four on the French units, limiting their anti-submarine warfare capability.
Although the French and Italian FREMMs share similar foundations as modern multi-purpose ships, the choices of armament reflect a strategic orientation specific to each country, thus influencing their effectiveness on the battlefield. Patrick Boissier explained this in the following words during his hearing on the conduct of cooperative programmes in the presence of Jean-Jacques Bridey, the rapporteur at the time, in 2013: “In the end, the only things the FREMMs have in common are their name and four pieces of equipment (turbine, stabilisation system, electronic warfare system and sonar). Even their silhouette is different. Despite this, compared with the complexity of the Horizon programmes, the simplification is considerable: we are in fact producing national programmes with cooperation for certain equipment”.
Despite design difficulties, the FREMMs have proved to be excellent ships. They are being sold to Morocco, Egypt and Indonesia, while the United States has signed a contract with Fincantieri to produce its new Constellation-class frigate, based on the FREMM.
Where do we go from here? Some thoughts on the future of Franco-Italian
Franco-Italian naval relations
These two examples show that, despite the more than satisfactory results achieved (the joint design of two types of frigate is anything but anecdotal), there is still plenty of room for improvement in Franco-Italian naval relations. It’s also worth noting that the development of new joint frigates is not on the agenda, given that the brand new FDI (Frégates de Défense et Intervention) for the French and Hellenic navies are in the process of leaving the Naval Group shipyards. The only naval project on which Paris and Rome are currently cooperating is the European Patrol Corvette project, but this seems to be falling behind schedule.
However, as stipulated in the Quirinal Treaty, the Rome-Paris axis must be a driving force for the EU and its projects. To this end, there are a number of avenues to explore in order to strengthen this collaboration. One of the main challenges facing joint programmes is the standardisation of equipment, radars and combat systems. At present, the French and Italian versions of the FREMM differ in their radar systems and certain weapons. Greater standardisation of systems would facilitate maintenance, reduce costs and simplify interoperability. A shared standard could also include common sub-systems, such as propulsion plants and communication systems. The difficulty with this project lies in the inevitable competition between French and Italian companies. The choice of equipment also depends on the strategic goals of the ships.
Greater cooperation in research and development would enable both countries to integrate emerging technologies more quickly into future generations of frigates. This could include artificial intelligence systems for automatic target detection, more powerful and adaptive radars, and advanced electronic countermeasures. The two countries could also invest jointly in hypervelocity weapons or maritime UAV capabilities, a key area for maintaining their technological lead.
Shared logistics between France and Italy would also reduce costs and optimise frigate availability. Setting up a joint maintenance centre could centralise the management of spare parts and streamline repair processes. A joint fleet of engineers and technicians could be mobilised for inspections and repairs, thereby reducing maintenance times and fleet management costs. In this respect, France and Italy seem to be on the right track with the future joint renovation/modernisation of the FDAs. The modernisation programme for the Horizon class frigates is valued at €1.5 billion and has been entrusted to Naviris and Eurosam. Naviris, a joint venture between Fincantieri and Naval Group, also benefits from the involvement of Thales. Eurosam, a collaboration between Thales and MBDA, is owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. According to Thales, the aim of this project is to provide frigates with state-of-the-art modernisation, while improving their anti-air defence capabilities.
Finally, in order to strengthen this relationship, the French and Italian governments and industrialists should agree to unify the conditions for marketing the FREMM. Each of the two countries has sold local examples of the frigates separately, and Fincantieri’s subsidiary will develop the future US constellation class on the basis of the FREMM. By strengthening their cooperation in the marketing and export of frigates, France and Italy could increase their attractiveness to international markets. A more structured marketing partnership would make it easier to promote the frigates to other navies and secure market share against American or Russian competitors. They could also develop tailor-made solutions for specific markets (such as the Middle East or South-East Asia) with adapted versions of the FREMM frigates.
These areas would improve the competitiveness, flexibility and efficiency of the Franco-Italian fleets, while ensuring greater European sovereignty in the face of current security challenges.
Conclusion
Franco-Italian cooperation in the design and modernisation of frigates has led to major strategic advances, but it continues to face structural challenges. Although joint programmes have demonstrated their effectiveness, notably with the Horizon class and FREMMs, they remain marked by technical and industrial differences that are specific to national doctrines and interests. By further standardising equipment and strengthening joint research, the two countries could simplify maintenance and improve interoperability, which are essential to
to guarantee the long-term viability of their fleets.
In addition, shared logistics and greater cooperation in marketing these frigates on international markets are avenues that would strengthen Europe’s competitiveness vis-à-vis global players. Efforts to modernise the Horizon frigates and develop cutting-edge technologies, such as anti-air defence systems and maritime drones, are promising examples of collaboration that could inspire future naval projects.