The ships, known as DDX, are intended to replace the Italian Navy’s Horizon-class destroyers and strengthen its ability to counter air and missile threats. The programme puts Fincantieri in charge of the naval platform and Leonardo in charge of the combat system, bringing both companies into a project scheduled to deliver its first ship in 2033 and its second in 2035.
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, the contracting joint venture, is owned 51% by Fincantieri and 49% by Leonardo. It expects to award subcontracts in the coming weeks worth approximately €1.8 billion to Fincantieri, including €800 million in options, and €1.7 billion to Leonardo, including €480 million in options.
The planned combat system combines Leonardo’s SADOC 5 C5I system, a fully digital S-band AESA radar and an MBDA weapon system. According to the companies, the ships are designed to provide integrated air and missile defence against missile, ballistic and hypersonic threats while sharing information with other forces.
At 180 metres long and 13,500 tonnes, each destroyer will carry a crew of 251 and have a stated range of 4,000 nautical miles. The design also provides for integrated control of unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, extending the ships’ role beyond air defence.
Fincantieri plans to equip the destroyers with a digital architecture that draws together information from onboard systems to support operations, maintenance and logistics. The platform will also include energy storage linked to a DC power sub-network and a stabilisation system integrated with steering.
“The DDX programme represents a strategic milestone for Fincantieri and for Italy’s national defence industry,” Fincantieri Chief Executive Pierroberto Folgiero said. He described it as “one of the most significant naval programmes launched in Italy in recent years”.
Leonardo Chief Executive Lorenzo Mariani said the programme reflected the navy’s confidence in the company’s technology and its investment in systems that connect operations across different domains. “With these two new-generation units, the Armed Force will be able to rely on naval platforms offering advanced operational performance and capable of addressing a broad spectrum of threats,” he said.
For Orizzonte Sistemi Navali Chief Executive Giovanni Sorrentino, the contract also carries industrial importance beyond the two ships. “With the DDX programme, Italy is making a generational leap in its maritime defence capabilities and strengthening a strategic asset that involves the entire national system,” he said.
