The Italian FREMM frigate “Emilio Bianchi” successfully passed its First Sea Going Review on 18 November and had its First Sea Going in the Gulf of La Spezia on 28 November, 2024. It is the 10th Italian FREMM Frigate and the 2nd in the “ASW enhanced” configuration.
Industry representatives, OCCAR-EA and the national authority representatives jointly verified that all contractual conditions are satisfactorily met to allow the ship and crew to sea going safely. This phase is called the First Sea Going Review.
This event is another key milestone on the way to the delivery of the ship to the Italian Navy, which is expected in July 2025, three (3) months in advance of the contractual date.
According to current plans, “Emilio Bianchi” will complete its sea trials by May 2025.
The FREMM Program continues with its procurement process of two additional ships in the so-called ‘Evolution’ configuration for the Italian Navy.
First Sea Going:
An important milestone in the delivery process of a military ship is the “First Sea Going”. This step certifies the start of a series of contractual sea trails to verify the compliance with operational requirements and to set up equipment and systems on board before the ship is delivered to the national Navy (Official Acceptance).