The keel-laying ceremony for the first next-generation U212NFS (Near Future Submarine) destined for the Italian Navy was held today at the Muggiano shipyard, as part of the program for the construction of four submarines and the development of related logistic support, managed and entrusted to OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement, an international organization for the management of cooperative defense programs). Delivery of the first U212NFS is scheduled for 2029.
As part of the development of the Italian Navy submarine force for the period 2025 – 2050, the U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) and the U212 NFS EVO are being developed, for an introduction by 2036. By then, the Italian Navy will be equipped with four Todaro class (the U212A), four U212 NFS, and two U212 NFS EVO. The Italian Navy is already preparing the development of the successor of the U212A, the NGS (New Generation Submarine) that will replace the U212A and that will start to be built from 2040.
The U212NFS program makes a decisive contribution to preserving and enhancing national industrial know-how, consolidating the technological advantage of Fincantieri and the entire Italian supply chain – thanks to the increased development of components within the country, reinforcing its strategic role and in particular that of the Muggiano shipyard, which—with over a century of activity and more than one hundred submarines built—represents a historic benchmark for the construction of the national underwater component.
The U212NFS submarine class represents a substantial evolution compared to its U212A predecessors, thanks to greater design maturity, a higher level of national technological content, and improved integration of onboard systems. The innovations developed by Italian industry — including the lithium-ion propulsion battery and the new combat system — will ensure greater stealth, endurance, efficiency, and cyber resilience.
