FREMM multipurpose frigate

Italian FREMM frigate Carlo Bergamini (F590)
Class overview
NameFREMM
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
SubclassesConstellation class
(United States)
Cost
  • France: €670 million (2014)[1] per unit
  • Italy: €598 million (2016)[2] per unit
  • Morocco: €470 million (2014)[2] per unit
  • USA: US$795 million (2020)[3] for the first unit
BuiltSince 2007
In commissionSince 2012
Planned59 (France: 17, Italy: 12, Morocco: 1, Egypt: 5, US: 20, Indonesia: 6)
Cancelled9 (France)
Active20 (Italy: 8, France: 8, Morocco: 1, Egypt: 3)
General characteristics
TypeFrigate or destroyer
Displacement
  • France: 6,000 t (5,900 long tons)[4]
  • Italy: 6,700 t (6,600 long tons)[5] (5,500 tonnes, light displacement)
Length
  • France: 142 m (465 ft 11 in) LOA
  • Italy: 144.6 m (474 ft 5 in) LOA
  • Italy: 132.5 m (434 ft 9 in) LPP[6]
Beam
  • France: 20 m (65 ft 7 in)
  • Italy: 19.7 m (64 ft 8 in)
Draught
  • France: 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in)
  • Italy: 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • France: In excess of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
  • Italy: In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range
  • France: 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
  • Italy: 6,800 nmi (12,600 km; 7,800 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement
  • France: 145
  • Italy: 199 GP version / 201 ASW version
Crew
  • France: 123 crew on average including the air crew
  • Italy: 131 GP version / 133 ASW version; add 14 crew for one helo on board or add 23 crew for two helicopters on board
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
  • Anti-air missiles:
  • France: 4 FREMM-ASW (Aquitaine, Provence, Languedoc, Auvergne) with 16-cell MBDA SYLVER A43 VLS for 16 MBDA Aster 15 missiles; 2 FREMM-ASW (Bretagne and Normandie) fitted with 16-cell MBDA SYLVER A50 VLS for 16 MBDA Aster 15 or 30 missiles; 2 FREMM-AAW (Alsace and Lorraine) fitted with 32-cell MBDA SYLVER A50 VLS for 32 MBDA Aster 15 or 30 missiles.[9]
  • Italy: 16-cell MBDA SYLVER A50 VLS for 16 MBDA Aster 15 and 30 missiles
  • Guns:
  • France: 1 × Leonardo OTO Melara 76 mm SR gun
  • Italy: 2 × Leonardo OTO Melara 76 mm/62 Davide/Strales guns (FREMM-ASW variant)
  • 1 × Leonardo Otobreda 127/64 Vulcano and 1 × Leonardo OTO Melara 76 mm/62 Davide/Strales gun (FREMM-GP variant)
  • Small guns:
  • France: 3 × Nexter 20 mm Narwhal remote weapon systems
  • Italy: 2 × Leonardo OTO Melara 25/80 turret with Oerlikon KBA 25mm as remote weapon station
  • Anti-ship missiles:
  • France: 8 × MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles (Block 3c variant entering service with the French Navy from December 2022)[10]
  • Italy: GP variant 8 × MBDA Teseo Mk-2/A anti-ship and land attack missiles; ASW variant 4 × MBDA Teseo Mk-2/A and 4 × MBDA MILAS anti-submarine missiles
  • Land-attack cruise missiles:
  • France: 16-cell MBDA SYLVER A70 VLS for 16 MBDA MdCN land-attack cruise missiles (not fitted to two French AAW variants)[9]
  • Anti-submarine warfare:
  • France: 2 × double Leonardo (WASS) B-515 launcher for MU 90 torpedoes
  • Italy: 2 × triple Leonardo (WASS) B-515/3 launcher for MU 90 torpedoes
  • Italy: 2 × SITEP MASS CS-424 acoustic guns (update since 2017)
Aircraft carried
  • France: 1 × NH90
  • Italy: 2 × SH90 or 1 × SH90 and 1 × AW101 (armed with MU 90 torpedoes or MBDA Marte Mk2/S missiles)
Aviation facilities
  • France: single hangar
  • Italy: double hangar
NotesItaly: 1 x RHIB SOLAS (Hatecke 7,5 m), 1 x RHIB Zodiac Hurricane 9,35 m and 1 RHIB CABAT 11 m on the stern

The FREMM (French: Frégate Européenne Multi-Mission; Italian: Fregata Europea Multi-Missione), which stands for "European multi-purpose frigate", is a Franco-Italian family of multi-purpose frigates designed by Naval Group and Fincantieri. In France, this surface combatant is known as the "Aquitaine class" (17 units planned, of which 9 were later cancelled), while in Italy it is known as the "Bergamini class" (10 units planned). The lead ship of the class, Aquitaine, was commissioned in November 2012 by the French Navy. Italy has ordered six general purpose and four anti-submarine variants. France, on the other hand, has ordered six anti-submarine variants and two air-defense ones.

The FREMM has also been exported to various countries. Notably, the United States Navy selected a FREMM variant for their new Constellation class of 20 frigates, to be built by Fincantieri, starting with a US$795 million contract for the lead ship.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Francebudget2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference UN20140130 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Caractéristiques". FREMM Aquitaine (D 650) (in French). Ministère de la Défense. 12 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Fregate Europee Multi Missione - FREMM" (in Italian). Ministero Della Difesa. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Fincantieri - Classe Bergamini". fincantieri.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  7. ^ Peruzzi, Luca (5 November 2019). "The FREMM programme and its latest developments". European Defence Review. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Naval Multifunctional Active Radar for Principal Anti-Air Missile System" (PDF). Leonardo Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  9. ^ a b "French Navy fitting Aster 30 long range SAM on its last two ASW FREMM frigates". navyrecognition.com. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (17 October 2022). "First Exocet MM40 Block 3c Missiles Set For December Delivery". Naval News. Retrieved 29 November 2022.