According to information released by the Italian Newspaper l’Espresso website on September 30, 2020, Egypt would have signed an order with Italy for the delivery of two FREMM frigates. In June 2020, Navy Recognition has released news to announce that Italy has approved the sale of two FREMM frigates to the Egyptian navy.
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Spartaco Schergat FREEM frigate of Italian navy. (Picture source Twitter account Aurelio Giansiracusa)
According to a report, the two frigates may be drawn from the Italian Navy’s procurement program – the vessels Spartaco Schergat and Emilio Bianchi, launched in January 2019 and January 2020, respectively – enabling Fincantieri to sell the vessels for an estimated cost of €1.2 billion. The FREMM vessels have been commissioned to Fincantieri by the Italian Navy within the framework of an Italo-French cooperation program under the coordination of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for cooperation on arms).
The "Emilio Bianchi" vessel, like the other units, features a high degree of flexibility, capable of operating in all tactical situations. 144 meters long with a beam of 19.7 meters, the ship has a displacement at a full load of approximately 6,700 tones. The vessel has a maximum speed of over 27 knots and has a maximum accommodation capacity for a 200-person crew.
Spartaco Schergat is a general purpose-configured variant with a full-load displacement of 6,900 tons and 144 meters in length. It carries an OTO Melara gun, a 16-cell vertical launch system launching Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, a MU90 lightweight torpedo launching system (Torpedo Launching System) and the Teseo MK2/A anti-ship system, based on the Teseo missile. The ship also has a flight deck for embarking two helicopters.
The FREMM is a class of multi-purpose frigates designed by French company Naval Group and Fincantieri from Italy for the navies of France and Italy. The FREMM program consists of the construction of 18 ships: 8 for France, 10 for Italy. The first FREMM was delivered in 2012 and the objective of contractual delivery is 2022 for the whole 18 frigates.
The French FREMM frigates are being developed in two designs: Anti Submarine Warfare (ASM) and Anti Air Warfare (FREDA). Both of them deliver anti-surface weapons. The final crew number is 108 (helicopter detachment included), which is much lower than for similar contemporary ships. The crew reduction was reached thanks to the use of advanced technology solutions and a centralized combat system.
The Italian FREMM is also being developed in two designs: Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) and General Purpose (GP) with the possibility to perform a wide range of operational missions. The Italian versions also operate with a reduced crew thanks to Human Factors optimizations and a high level of automation. The final crew number of 145 is the result of having on board 2 helicopters (with two crews), a federated Combat Management System, and a higher level of maintainers embarked to ensure greater flexibility.
