{"id":43026,"date":"2019-07-22T09:36:51","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T09:36:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/22\/italy-matches-french-naval-tie-up-with-german-sub-partnership\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:31:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:31:46","slug":"italy-matches-french-naval-tie-up-with-german-sub-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/07\/22\/italy-matches-french-naval-tie-up-with-german-sub-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy matches French naval tie-up with German sub partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ROME \u2014 Italian state shipyard Fincantieri and its French counterpart Naval Group signed a long-planned deal in June to create a joint venture to build and market naval vessels, with a \u201cEuropean patrol corvette\u201d in the works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But away from the limelight, Italy\u2019s long-standing cooperation with Germany\u2019s naval industry to build submarines is picking up speed with news that Fincantieri will build four more U-212 submarines for the Italian Navy under license from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With four already in service, that will bring to a total of eight the U-212 boats Italy has built in partnership with Germany, and the next batch is expected to be an updated version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Known as the U-212A Near Future Submarine, or NFS, the next four subs will feature a large amount of new technology supplied by Italian industry, further blending Italian and German know-how and proving that integration of the European naval industry is not just an Italo-French affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe main design is similar to the earlier submarines to keep logistics costs down, but there has been a lot of work with Italian industry on upgrading capabilities, which will also help improve the country\u2019s industrial base,\u201d an Italian defense source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s Italian defense budget, which was published this month, claims the overall cost of four NFS vessels will be \u20ac2.35 billion (U.S. $2.65 billion), while the source said the contract with Fincantieri for the first pair would be signed by year\u2019s end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signing would put an end to French reports that Naval Group is informally pitching its Scorpene attack submarine to Italy in hopes Rome considers switching from the U-212.<\/p>\n\n\n\t