The Italian FREMM Alpino moored pierside in Baltimore. The ship’s design is the basis of the US Navy’s next-generation frigate. (Staff photo By David B. Larter)
The U.S. Navy’s newest surface combatant has Italian heritage, the Navy has announced Thursday.
In a major win for Wisconsin’s Marinette Marine shipyard, the Navy selected Fincantieri’s so-called FREMM design, an acronym that stands for “European multi-purpose frigate,” in its original Italian. The shipyard, which is also on the hook for building the remaining mono-hull littoral combat ships and a frigate version of it for Saudi Arabia, is now a major player in U.S. Navy shipbuilding.
