Egypt has ordered another two Italian FREMM Bergamini class frigates for US $ 1.2 billion.
The contract was signed at the end of August. The Egyptian Navy will receive its first frigate by the end of 2020, and will get the second ship in 2021.
As previously reported by Italian media, the initial contract for two frigates could be followed by the order for two more frigates. Egypt is also said to be interested in buying patrol boats from Fincantieri, some of which will be built locally under license under the same business model adopted with the French Gowind corvette.
The FREMM program is an Italian-French Defense industrial cooperation project for a new generation of frigates, having the same basis, but differing from country to country based on different functions and operational requirements. The frigate for the Italian Navy was built at the Riva Trigoso-Muggiano integrated naval shipyard in Fincantieri.
The FREMM Bergamini class frigate has a full load weight of around 6,500 tonnes, an overall length of approximately 144 meters and a top speed exceeding 27 knots.
It is not yet known whether the weaponry for the Egyptian frigate will be the same as that of the earlier FREMM frigates, such as the Aster 15 vertical launch system (VLS), the MBDA Exocet MM 40 block 3 anti-ship missile, the Eurotorp MU90 light torpedo and the Nexter Systems NARWHAL 20B short range defense weapon. stations
