Italy and France will benefit from reduced maintenance times for their FREMM frigates by as much as 50%, according to OCCAR, a multilateral organisation that manages cooperative defence programmes across the continent.
As part of their remit, the organisation is tasked with managing the development and production of the multirole frigates on behalf of the two navies since 2005. Since then, the vessel has evolved with the pace of emerging technologies.
To that end, the programme leader and military officials gathered to unveil a new towed body workshop situated within the Italian Navy’s historic Taranto Arsenal which is more than a century old.
The new workshop is equipped to carry out interventions for all FREMM units from Italy’s ten ships to the eight vessels currently in service with the French Navy.
Outfitting was completed under the first In-Service-Support TLSM (Through Life Sustainment Management) contract. The first maintenance activity is scheduled for October 2025.
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture between Fincantieri and Leonardo, both Italian defence suppliers, is the primary contractor for plans under TLSM.
At the same time as the announcement of the new workshop, a second TLSM was awarded to OSN on 24 June for the management of on board systems, valued at around €764m ($888.5m). Additional subcontracts worth €265m with other companies, including Europe's complex weapons manufacturer MBDA, have also been agreed.
A key element of the programme is the integration of industry and its personnel into the Navy’s processes, information systems, and facilities – as the new workshop demonstrates – with a particular focus on improving materials management and preventive maintenance planning.
What makes the Taranto workshop efficient?
The workshop is located inside the military arsenal of Taranto, very close to the ships, so transportation is almost eliminated.
However this is not a new practice. At La Spezia naval base on the Ligurian Sea, the Navy house Thales engineers in an integrated service centre covering 1,000 square metres to manufacture and maintain sonars installed on minesweepers and frigates.
Similarly, technicians from Thales IT will be operating in the workshop, ensuring a direct link between the industry, the arsenal workers, and the personnel of the Italian Navy. As a result, the Italian Navy has acquired a new dedicated maintenance line.
Finally, the workshop will have a stock of spare parts available, allowing component replacement during preventive maintenance without any lead time.
