FREMM MULTIPURPOSE FRIGATE

The 'FREMM Multipurpose Frigate' (French '''Fré'gate 'M'ulti-'M'ission'' or Italian '''Fre'gata 'M'ulti-'M'issione'') is a ship designed by DCN and Fincantieri to operate in anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, and be capable of carrying out deep strikes against land targets.
The French Navy plans to operate seventeen FREMM frigates, and the Marina Militare ten. The first commissionings are expected in 2011 when the first of the French vessels is due in service (France has so far placed orders for 8 FREMM frigates [1], Italy 2 [2], 2nd batch of 6 italian vessel order will probably place may 07). The ships will be built in France by Armaris (a joint venture between state shipyard DCN and arms firm Thales), and in Italy by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (a joint venture between shipbuilder Fincantieri and aerospace firm Finmeccanica). This arrangement extends the partnerships forged for development of the Horizon CNGFs (Common New Generation Frigates).
France will use the seventeen frigates to replace the anti-submarine ''Tourville'' class frigates (F67 type), the anti-submarine ''Georges Leygues'' class frigates (F70 type) and the A69 type avisos. Of the new frigates, France will build 8 anti-submarine (ASW) and 9 land-attack (LA) frigates; Italy will build 4 ASW and 6 general-purpose (GP) frigates to replace the (8) ''Maestrale'' and (4) ''Lupo'' class frigates.
The FREMM will be the first European warships to include drones in their standard equipment [3].
The first eight French ships have been named ''Aquitaine'', ''Normandie'', ''Provence'', ''Bretagne'', ''Auvergne'', ''Languedoc'', ''Alsace'' and ''Lorraine''. The first two Italian ships have been named ''Carlo Bergamini'' and ''Carlo Margottini''.

Contents

Versions

Common armament

Anti-Submarine version

Land attack version

French service

Versions

Two versions of the frigates are planned: one anti-submarine version and a land attack (FR)/general-purpose (IT) version. French and Italians will use these with some equipment which will differ between the two countries.
In spite of the existence of two different versions of the FREMM, their design as well as most of their armament will be similar.

Common armament

★ MU 90 torpedoes

★ MM-40 Exocet block 3 (France version)

★ TeseoOtomat Mk-2/A block 4, for naval and land attack (Italian version)

★ MBDA Aster SAAM in SYLVER launchers

★ Otobreda 76 mm Super Rapid gun with Davide ammunition

★ NH90 helicopter, capability for EH101 (Italian version)

Anti-Submarine version

★ Towed sonar : Captas UMS 4249

★ Other torpedoes

★ MILAS ASW missile (Italian ASW FF only)

★ Multi-beam echo sounder (Italian ASW FF only)

Land attack version

★ 127 mm Otobreda LW with Vulcano ammution with a range up to 120km, probably 127/64

★ SCALP EG Naval cruise missile in Sylver-70 launchers (French LA only)

French service

The first eight French frigates are to be named

★ ''Aquitaine''

★ ''Normandie''

★ ''Provence''

★ ''Bretagne''

★ ''Auvergne''

★ ''Languedoc''

★ ''Alsace''

★ ''Lorraine''