On July 20, 2026, Portugal’s defence ministry announced that it signed an agreement with Italy for the procurement of three new-generation frigates for the Portuguese Navy. The FREMM EVO will be built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.
The Minister of National Defence, Nuno Melo, and the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Jorge Nobre de Sousa, were present at the signing ceremony of the bilateral agreement at the Army Palace in Rome.
This program is part of the modernization process of the Portuguese Navy and Armed Forces to adapt to the new geopolitical reality and threats.
The delivery of the three new ships to the Portuguese Navy will take place between 2029 and 2030.
The Minister of National Defence, Nuno Melo, traveled to Rome as part of the delegation of the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, which also included the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel. Minister Nuno Melo and the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Jorge Nobre de Sousa, participated in a bilateral meeting with their Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto, and were present at the signing ceremony of the State-to-State agreement, within the framework of SAFE, which provides for the acquisition of three state-of-the-art frigates, their maintenance, technology transfer and other conditions necessary for the operational exploitation of the ships throughout their life cycle, of no less than 30 years. The document was signed by the Deputy Director-General of Armament, Rear Admiral António Mateus, at the Army Palace in the Italian capital.
This program is part of the modernization process of the Portuguese Navy and Armed Forces to adapt to the new geopolitical reality and threats, with a view to fulfilling missions in our waters, in international defense and collective security commitments, and providing permanent support to the population.
This investment in surface ocean and anti-submarine warfare also foresees cooperation with the defense industries, with strong incorporation of national companies, technology transfer, the revitalization of the Alfeite Arsenal, as well as a significant return for the national economy.
The decision represents a significant portion of the SAFE investment (5.8 billion Euros). SAFE investments represent the largest effort in the re-equipment of the Armed Forces in democracy, covering all domains: naval, land, air – including drones – and space. The delivery of the three new ships to the Portuguese Navy will take place between 2029 and 2030.
According to our information, the Italian shipbuilder will first produce two FREMM EVO ships for the Italian Navy, followed by three for the Portuguese Navy. The first ship is already in production while the second one is expected to enter production imminently. Portugal will not get hulls currently in production for the Italian Navy. The Portuguese frigates will be in the same baseline configuration as the Italian Navy FREMM EVO, except for communication systems. Regarding the anti-ship missiles, the decision is still pending between the Teseo Mk2/E by MBDA and the NSM by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.
This marks the first instance where SAFE funds are used for the procurement of frigates. Romania recently used SAFE to procure some offshore patrol vessels from Rheinmetall. The SAFE (Security Action for Europe) instrument is a major European Union financial initiative designed to rapidly boost defense spending, increase joint weapons procurement, and strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). Established in May 2025 as the flagship component of the European Commission’s ReArm Europe Plan / Readiness 2030 initiative, SAFE makes up to €150 billion available in long-maturity, low-interest loans to EU Member States
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