Italy-Greece FREMM Frigate Deal Puts Fincantieri at Centre of New Naval Partnership.
Italy-Greece sign deal to transfer Fincantieri built Fremm frigates to Hellenic Navy.
Italy transfers 2 Fremm class frigates to Greece: Italy and Greece have taken a significant step towards closer naval and defence cooperation with the signing of an agreement covering the transfer of two Italian FREMM frigates to the Hellenic Navy.
The agreement, signed in Rome, concerns the transfer of Carlo Bergamini and Virginio Fasan, two FREMM frigates currently serving with the Italian Navy. Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilding group that designed and built the vessels, will play a central role in the transfer, support and longer-term maintenance of the ships.
The deal is important not only because Greece will gain two advanced warships, but also because it could establish a broader industrial partnership between the Italian and Greek defence sectors.
The signing took place between the Directorate-General for Defence Arms and Investments of the Greek Ministry of Defence and its Italian counterpart. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias were present, alongside senior naval commanders from both countries and senior Fincantieri executives.
What is the FREMM frigate?
FREMM, short for European Multi-Mission Frigate, is a family of modern frigates designed for a wide range of naval missions. These include anti-submarine warfare, air defence, surface warfare and general maritime security.
The ships being transferred were designed and constructed by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy. Their planned move to Greek service reflects the flexibility of the FREMM design and its ability to be adapted to different operational requirements.
For Greece, the acquisition provides an opportunity to strengthen its naval capabilities with ships that are already operational rather than waiting several years for completely new vessels to be designed and constructed.
For Italy, meanwhile, the agreement creates an opportunity to expand the international presence of a naval platform that has already been adopted by several countries.
A deal that goes beyond two ships
Although the immediate focus is on the transfer of Carlo Bergamini and Virginio Fasan, officials on both sides are presenting the agreement as part of a much wider relationship.
The latest Implementing Agreement follows a Memorandum of Cooperation and a Declaration of Intent signed by Italy and Greece in September 2025. Those earlier agreements established the framework for closer defence and industrial cooperation.
The new agreement now moves that relationship towards practical implementation.
Fincantieri will be involved not only in transferring the two frigates but also in providing support throughout their operational lives. This includes initial and subsequent support activities intended to ensure that the vessels remain operationally available.
The agreement also envisages participation by Greek industry in maintenance work and in adapting the ships to accommodate new systems.
That element could prove particularly important. Rather than treating the acquisition simply as a sale of two completed warships, Italy and Greece are seeking to develop industrial links that could continue after the frigates enter Greek service.
Why Greek industry matters
The involvement of Greek companies could create opportunities across the defence supply chain, including maintenance, upgrades and other technical services.
For Greece, greater domestic involvement could help build expertise in supporting sophisticated naval platforms. For Fincantieri, closer cooperation with Greek industry could create a long-term industrial footprint in the country.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri’s chief executive and general manager, said the progress of the transfer process could open new opportunities for industrial synergies between the Italian shipbuilder and Greece’s industrial sector.
He also pointed to the possibility of greater integration of skills and technologies among countries operating the FREMM platform.
In practical terms, this means the relationship could eventually extend beyond the two frigates. Cooperation could include maintenance, technological development, upgrades and the exchange of technical expertise.
A strategic boost for Greece’s navy
The arrival of the two FREMM frigates would give the Hellenic Navy additional modern platforms capable of carrying out a broad range of missions.
Greece has been pursuing a major effort to modernise its armed forces, including its navy. Modern frigates are particularly important for a country whose security and defence planning are closely linked to its extensive coastline and maritime interests.
The FREMM platform’s multi-mission design also gives Greece greater flexibility. Rather than being built for a single role, the ships can be employed across different types of naval operations.
The transfer of ships already in Italian service could also offer a faster route to acquiring additional capability compared with ordering entirely new vessels.
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What the agreement means for Italy
For Italy, the agreement reinforces its defence relationship with Greece while giving Fincantieri a stronger position in the Greek naval market.
It also demonstrates the potential value of the FREMM platform as an international naval system. The transfer could help create a network of countries operating related ships, potentially making future cooperation on training, maintenance, upgrades and technology easier.
Folgiero described the entry of the FREMM frigates into the Hellenic Navy as a first step towards broader integration of capabilities and technologies among countries using the platform.
That could become particularly significant if future cooperation leads to common technological developments or shared industrial programmes.
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The bigger picture
The Italy-Greece agreement therefore represents more than the movement of two frigates from one navy to another.
At its core is a straightforward transaction: two Italian FREMM frigates will be transferred to Greece, with Fincantieri supporting the process and the ships’ subsequent operational lives.
But the structure of the agreement points to something broader. Italy and Greece are seeking to connect their naval capabilities and industrial sectors through maintenance, technical cooperation and potential future technology programmes.
For Fincantieri, that makes the deal an important international opportunity. For Greece, it offers additional naval capability alongside the possibility of developing domestic industrial expertise.
The success of the arrangement will ultimately depend on how smoothly the ships are transferred, integrated into the Hellenic Navy and supported over the long term. But the agreement already signals a deeper phase of defence cooperation between Rome and Athens — one in which shipbuilding, naval capability and industrial partnerships are increasingly intertwined.
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