Industry commitment to the project European Patrol Corvette (EPC) born in the PESCO context and for which the contracts for the first "Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette (MMPC)" tender were signed on 24 October 2023, was confirmed and intensified for the second MMPC tender, obtaining the selection of the proposed by the European Commission (EC) for a maximum EDF budget of 154,5 million euros.
This new phase will be aimed at completing the initial and detailed design and the development and integration of innovative technological elements thanks to which the ships will be able to equip themselves with various systems and payloads useful for carrying out a vast range of tasks and missions. This will allow the production of the first two prototypes: one version Long Range Mission (LRM) and a version Full Combat Mission (FCM), which will constitute the nations' future fleets of technologically advanced corvettes, with the ultimate goal of expanding the level of commonality, interoperability and standardization between the navies of different member states. The next step, as established by the EC, will be managed by OCCAR-EA on mandate from the EC.
The second MMPC call therefore aims to strengthen the five key elements for European autonomy: Economy, Defence, Technology, Industry and Security, consolidating skills and the joint development of advanced technologies among European industry, reducing the Union's dependence by external entities in the production of components, ensuring and establishing a new transnational supply chain within the EU, with the aim of limiting the unit cost and presenting the European Corvette as an attractive product also for the foreign market in competition with non-European shipyards. The project will accelerate the availability of modern corvettes, through the preparation of national acquisition programs and providing broad possibilities for interoperability with common supplies and procedures for operations and maintenance, thanks to mission modularity.
For this new phase, the co-financing commitment of Italy, Spain, France and Greece reflects a shared investment in the common security and defense objectives outlined by the PESCO project and the European Union.
Image: Navy