ROME — Italy and Greece have signed an Implementing Arrangement for the transfer of two Italian Navy FREMM frigates, Carlo Bergamini (F-590) and Virginio Fasan (F-591), to the Hellenic Navy.
The agreement was signed in Rome on September 8, 2026, between Greece’s General Directorate of Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) and Italy’s General Directorate for Armaments. The ceremony was attended by Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, Italian Navy Chief Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto and Hellenic Navy Chief Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras. Fincantieri was represented by Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Pierroberto Folgiero and Naval Vessels Division General Manager Eugenio Santagata.
The agreement follows the Memorandum of Cooperation and Declaration of Intent signed in September 2025 in La Spezia. It finalizes the legal, financial and technical framework for the acquisition of the two Bergamini-class frigates.
Transfer of the Two Frigates
Under the agreed schedule, Carlo Bergamini is planned to be transferred to the Hellenic Navy in the first half of 2028, while Virginio Fasan is scheduled to follow in the first half of 2029.
Both ships were designed and built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the Italian Navy. The Italian FREMM fleet includes both General Purpose and Anti-Submarine Warfare configurations. Fincantieri identifies the Bergamini-class ships as 144-meter-long frigates with a full-load displacement of about 6,500 tonnes and a range of about 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots.
The Carlo Bergamini is a General Purpose configuration, while the Virginio Fasan is an Anti-Submarine Warfare variant. The FREMM design uses a CODLAG propulsion system and is equipped for different naval missions.
Fincantieri to Support Transfer
Fincantieri will play a leading role in transferring the vessels and providing initial and long-term lifecycle support. The agreement also provides for the participation of Greek industry in maintenance activities and the integration of new systems on board the frigates.
Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero said the transfer could create further industrial cooperation between Fincantieri and the Greek industrial sector, including opportunities across the supply chain. He also described the introduction of the FREMM frigates into the Hellenic Navy as a first step toward greater sharing of expertise, technology and industrial capabilities among countries operating the platform.
Part of Greece's Naval Modernization
The two FREMM frigates form part of Greece's wider naval modernization programme. The Greek Ministry of National Defence has linked their acquisition with the country's four FDI frigates and the modernization of its MEKO-class frigates. The ministry also confirmed that the agreement leaves open the possibility of acquiring additional vessels in the future.
The transfer will therefore add two Italian-built FREMM frigates to the Hellenic Navy, with Greek shipyards expected to participate in maintenance and the integration of new systems as the vessels are prepared for Greek service.
——— End of Article ———
