Naval Group, Fincantieri, Naviris, and Navantia signed a preliminary consortium agreement to support the European Patrol Corvette program at the Euronaval 2022 exhibit in France.
The two-year program will produce an initial design for a 110-meter (361-foot), 3,000-ton (2.7-million-kilogram) second-rank surface combatant vessel.
The proposal was submitted in 2021 for the European Defence Fund’s Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette call. It was selected earlier this year by the European Commission.
Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, and Norway will co-fund the program. A total of 40 companies from 12 European nations will provide related maritime systems and equipment.
The European Patrol Corvette program is expected to “strongly contribute to European sovereignty in the naval domain” by increasing cooperation between member nations and strengthening the industry.
“With its ambition of excellence, the programme intends to grow with the expertise of various specialized European companies, in line with the European Commission strategy,” according to Naval Group.
The vessel produced from the project will be flexible, interoperable, sustainable, and innovative to match evolving mission requirements.
Furthermore, the corvette can replace a series of ships, including patrol vessels and light frigates.
