The Italian industry looks to the naval defense sector and to the future of new technologies that will make the difference in the challenges that loom on the horizon of the second and fundamental strategic domain: the sea and its depths.
Because of this Fincantieriwhich already holds profound knowledge in the sector thanks to our long history in the construction of submarines Navy and not only that, it announced at the end of last week the closing of an agreement for the acquisition by Leonardoof the business line “Underwater Armament Systems”. This line is specialized in the design and construction of submarine defense systems and in particular torpedoes, countermeasures and sonars.
All the main ones global players who look at the sea as a resource and an area of strategic influence and power projection are focusing a good part of their resources on the development of new technologies in the underwater sector and in the competition that lead to “supremacy” in the field of conflict underwater. The Aukus program launched by the US, UK and Australia, and the development of autonomous submarines and drones by the US and China are examples of this focus.
We therefore understand the value of perfecting theOperation conducted by Fincantieri and Leonardo, which, after the acquisition of Rezemal, is preparing to acquire, in addition to the torpedo production technologies, also the control of underwater acoustic technologies which will constitute a fundamental piece in the group’s growth strategy in theunderwater For applications in the military field and innovative solutions for the safety of civil infrastructures underwater, as well as new products in the civilian sector. Accelerating and effectively consolidating the leadership of the Fincantieri group as a “technological integrator” in the diving and naval defense sector. All in line with the announced strategy and following a series of industrial agreements already stipulated by the company, which in a report mentions 300 million euros as consideration for the acquisition of the fixed component relating toenterprise valuationand, in addition to maximums of up to 115 million euros as a variable component upon the occurrence of certain growth conditions linked to the performance of the business line of the Undewater Armament Systems in 2024.
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The CEO of Fincantieri, Roberto Folgiero he has declared : “We are extremely satisfied with this operation (…) and with the implementation of Fincantieri’s underwater strategy for the next industrial cycle. Underwater technological autonomy and global executive capabilities, in this new geopolitical and industrial scenario, will be the distinctive factors that will allow Fincantieri’s potential to be fully exploited in the interest of the Group’s industrial and financial stakeholders”.
The sector underwateras rightly underlined by Fincantieri is a geopolitical dominance of “growing relevance for military and security issues of critical underwater infrastructures such as gas pipelines and cables for telecommunications and electrical transmissions as well as for the protection of marine mineral beds”. The Mediterranean in particular, as a crossroads between three continents, now threatened in its connection with the East by the Red Sea crisis unleashed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, it is “particularly populated by critical infrastructures” that could be a sensitive target for adversary state and non-state actors. In fact, attacks have already been recorded on the underwater infrastructures that house the cables of the Aae-1, Eig and Seacom/Tgn-Eurasia telecommunications networks.
For this reason, the development, obtaining and mastery of skills in the field ofunderwater the purpose of ensuring safety in this strategic domainwhere intelligence, surveillance, defense and deterrence activities are growing strongly” requires a dedicated industrial focus which Fincantieri and Leonardo have promptly included, as Italian excellences, in their agendafundamental interests.
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