Italian Navy secures fourth NFS U212 submarine in €500M deal

Marina Militare, the Italian Navy, will receive the fourth NFS U212 (Near Future Submarine) submarine, estimated at 500 million euros (approximately 430 million pounds). We present what this submarine, also offered to Poland as part of the Orka programme, has to offer.

The Italian government has ordered the fourth NFS U212 submarine for the Marina Militare, according to a statement by OCCAR (Organisation conjointe de coopération en matière d'armement). This organisation coordinates the acquisition of arms by European countries that are signatories.

The contract was signed just before the steel cutting at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard for the third NFS U212 submarine, scheduled to be delivered by 2032. The signed annexe, estimated at 500 million euros (approximately 430 million pounds), also includes an upgrade to the battery package, which will be switched from lead-acid to lithium-ion technology. It will be the first submarine of this standard to enter service.

The U212 submarines are a joint project between Germany and Italy. Construction began in the 1990s under the ARGE 212 consortium. These units are equipped with an air-independent propulsion system based on batteries. Still, instead of diesel engines, they use fuel cells that employ hydrogen and liquid oxygen stored in tanks as energy sources.

Thanks to this, U212 family submarines can stay underwater uninterrupted for three weeks, which is impossible for older units. Additionally, fuel cells are significantly quieter than diesel engines, making U212 much harder to detect.

These units are 60 metres long for the NFS variant and have a displacement of about 1,650 tonnes, with a crew consisting of 29 officers and sailors. The armament includes six 533 mm torpedo tubes, allowing both torpedoes and Teseo EVO cruise missiles or IDAS anti-aircraft missiles, which are naval variants of the IRIS-T SLM.

Moreover, the Italians have equipped the NFS version with an advanced electronic warfare system and the ability to cooperate with special units. It is also worth noting that NFS U212 submarines are one of the proposals in the Polish Orka programme, mentioned by Wirtualna Polska journalist Łukasz Michalik.