Fincantieri flanks Daewoo in the design of the South Korean aircraft carriers

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) will collaborate with Fincantieri on the conceptual design of the new CVX aircraft carrier for the South Korean Navy. The agreement now signed provides for the development of the basic design for the type ship from the second half of 2021, while detailed design and construction are to begin in the following years. Fincantieri will work with DSME on the design for the Triestean amphibious transport ship in the LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) category. Through its subsidiary Seastema and its integrated platform management system (IPMS) SeasNavy, Fincantieri is already cooperating with the East Asian country on the construction of a total of eight frigates in the Daegu-class (FFX-II).
Both programmes are important for Fincantieri, especially in this area of the Western Pacific. They strengthen the position of the Italian shipbuilder, especially as Djakarta originally ordered six units of the Martadinata-class, i.e. the Dutch competitor. Information is also circulating about a contract concluded in 2020 for the construction of a variant of the Danish Iver-Huitfeldt-class. These publicly unconfirmed intentions could now become obsolete.
Fincantieri has recently enjoyed international success with the delivery of two Fremm-class frigates to Egypt and the selection of its design for the future US Navy FFG(X) frigates. In May 2021, the US subsidiary of the Trieste-based group secured a contract worth 553.9 million US dollars (approx. 455 million euros) for the acquisition of a second Fremm frigate by the US Navy.

Text: Hans-Uwe Mergener; Photo: DSME