La Spezia (Italy), 27 February 2026 – The Keel-Laying Ceremony for the first U212 Near Future Submarine (NFS) was held at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard, marking a further milestone in the Programme managed by OCCAR on behalf of the Italian Navy.
The ceremony formally started the modular assembly phase of the first NFS Submarine. The NFS Programme currently includes four submarines in contemporary production, with activities progressing in parallel in line with the overall schedule. Delivery is planned starting from 2029 for the first unit.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of Industry, OCCAR, the Italian Navy and National Armaments Directorate. The NFS Class represents an evolution of the U212A Submarines, introducing enhanced stealth characteristics, improved energy performance and updated systems integration, together with strengthened cyber resilience.
The Programme also encompasses the development and industrialisation of key prototype on board Systems, including the lithium Propulsion Battery and the Combat System incorporating a new Sensors suite. Managing the building of four Submarines in parallel, a technically extremely complex platform, requires coordinated governance, structured oversight and continuous interaction among stakeholders.
The keel-laying of the first NFS submarine therefore marks the transition into full assembly and confirms the steady advancement of the Programme.