Italian Navy ordered development and construction of two new DDX project destroyers, armed with 80 missile launchers. Agreement value is €3.7 billion, including options for €1.3 billion.
European intergovernmental Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of Italy concluded this contract with Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN). This company is joint venture of Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%).
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New destroyers will be capable of performing missile defense tasks, meaning they can shoot down cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles, covering fleet from russian Onyx and Zircon.
For this, 2 ships will be equipped with modern AESA S-band radar, SADOC 5 C5I control system and MBDA weapons systems. Other innovations include new stabilization system with control capabilities, new algorithms for balance calculation, greater digitalization and so on.
Overall DDX destroyer will have 180-meter length with 13,500-ton displacement, 4,000 nautical mile range (approximately 7,400 km) and 251-person crew. Expected is first and second ships will arrive in 2033 and 2035 respectively, replacing Horizon-class ships, which Italy classifies as destroyers.
Defense Express adds that according to open source information, DDX equipment will include 48 Sylver A50 launcher cells. They are designed for Aster family surface-to-air missiles, including today's most modern Aster 30 B1NT.
Strike capabilities should be represented by 16 Sylver A70 cells for MdCN cruise missiles and 2 launchers for 4 Teseo Mk2/E anti-ship missiles. At same time, probability exists final configuration will differ, as same MdCN currently serves only in France.
Back in 2020, Italians spoke about possible procurement of two destroyers, which should become fleet foundation. Then mentioned was that under stable financing conditions, first ship was to be received in 2028, and as we see now timelines shifted 5 years forward.
If Fincantieri-provided parameters are to be believed, DDX will have greater displacement than russian Navy Project 1164 Atlant missile cruisers, to which Armed Forces-sunk Moskva in 2022 belonged. However they will be somewhat shorter (180 vs 186 m) and have smaller crew (251 vs 485 persons).
New Italian destroyers will be larger than American Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which have 9,700-ton displacement and 155 m length. However U.S. ship has more powerful armament with over 90 Mk41 universal launcher cells.
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