{"id":59348,"date":"2018-10-10T20:33:44","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T20:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/10\/italian-shipbuilders-tout-systems-engineering-chops-ahead-of-french-merger-talks\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:20:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:20:29","slug":"italian-shipbuilders-tout-systems-engineering-chops-ahead-of-french-merger-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2018\/10\/10\/italian-shipbuilders-tout-systems-engineering-chops-ahead-of-french-merger-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian shipbuilders tout systems-engineering chops ahead of French merger talks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ROME \u2013 Italian firms Leonardo and Fincantieri have announced tighter cooperation on naval systems work to help them build better ships and get ready for an expected Italo-French team-up in warship construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two firms said they would relaunch Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, an existing joint venture between them, to develop naval combat systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leonardo, which holds 49 percent of the joint venture, has long supplied radars, guns and systems to ships built by shipyard Fincantieri, which holds a majority 51 percent stake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OSN was created in 2002 to integrate the work of the two firms on Italy\u2019s Horizon frigates, Cavour carrier and FREMM frigates, but was not used for the more recent construction of Italy\u2019s new PPA frigates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its new form, OSN will \u201cassume responsibility for the development of the combat systems and the definition of subsystem requirements and individual components\u2019 architecture, including the Combat Management System (CMS),\u201d in new vessels, the firms said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFincantieri will act as prime contractor, the single interface to customers and hold responsibility for the warship as a whole (Whole Warship Design Authority), therefore in charge, on behalf of OSN, of the architecture of the ship system concerning both the platform and the combat system. Leonardo will be the preferred partner for the Combat Management System and the equipment and systems of the ship,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Italian industrial source said the deal was designed to make systems integration more central to shipbuilding by the two firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUntil now a lot of work on integration took place during the ship building process. Now, integration should happen earlier in the process,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t