Italy has held the first keel-laying ceremony for new submarines aimed at modernizing its naval fleet.
Trieste-based shipbuilding firm Fincantieri is building the Italian Navy’s first U212 Near Future Submarine at its shipyard in Muggiano.
The new boats are being built to replace older submarines that have been in service since the 1980s, strengthening the navy’s underwater capabilities for the future.
Construction of the first platform began in 2022, with the vessel designated “NFS1 S530” and scheduled to enter service by 2029. According to Fincantieri, the four-submarine program is expected to be completed by 2032.
Next-gen Italian sub
The U212NFS marks a major advancement over the earlier U212A class, featuring greater design maturity, increased Italian technological input, and enhanced integration of onboard systems.
According to Fincantieri, key innovations from Italian industry, including a lithium-ion propulsion battery and a new combat system, will deliver improved stealth, endurance, operational efficiency, and stronger cyber resilience.
The U212 NFS submarine will have an overall length of approximately 193 feet (59 meters), a height above the sail of 39 feet (12m), and a maximum diameter of 22 feet (7m).
The vessels will have a surface displacement of 1,600t and will accommodate a crew of 29. They will feature a new-generation combat system that incorporates command and weapon control systems, reports Naval Technology.
The submarines will also feature an extended pressure hull, a redesigned combat information center (CIC) to accommodate additional consoles, and topicalization for operational capability in seawater and high temperatures.
In addition, they will include electric hoistable masts designed to replace the hydraulic ones, a new engineering control monitoring system, and lithium-ion batteries for the propulsion system.
Lithium-powered upgrade
The U212 NFS program was launched to address increasingly complex underwater operational scenarios and to replace the Italian Navy’s four aging Sauro-class submarines, which are nearing the end of their service lives. The initiative builds on the earlier U212A program, a joint effort between Fincantieri and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems that led to the Todaro-class submarines.
Future development of the programme includes an additional €160 million ($178.8 million) allocation for expanded activities or capability enhancements as required by the Italian Navy. At the same time, an engineering change proposal has been introduced to industrialize, produce, and integrate an advanced lithium energy storage system across all U212 NFS vessels.
In July 2024, a Power4Future facility was inaugurated with a dedicated production line for lithium battery systems supporting the NFS program. These batteries may also be used to upgrade older U212A-class submarines and other air-independent propulsion underwater platforms.
The U212 NFS submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of missions, including military operations, freedom of navigation patrols, anti-piracy tasks, protection of energy supply routes, and enforcement of international law. They will also conduct counterterrorism missions, safeguard maritime infrastructure, defend external borders, and help preserve marine ecosystems.
In terms of armament, the submarines will be capable of launching long-range deep-strike cruise missiles and deploying advanced heavyweight torpedoes, including the Black Shark system developed by Leonardo.