Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) has signed a contract with European armaments agency OCCAR to develop and build two next-generation DDX destroyers for the Italian Navy. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in 2033 and the second in 2035.

Announced on 24 September 2026, the contract is valued at approximately €3.7 billion, including around €1.3 billion in options. It covers development, production, logistic studies and initial in-service support. OSN is a joint venture owned by Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%). It expects to award subcontracts worth approximately €1.8 billion to Fincantieri and €1.7 billion to Leonardo in the coming weeks; both figures include options.

The DDX programme is intended to replace the Italian Navy’s Horizon-class destroyers and strengthen its air and missile defence capabilities. Fincantieri will act as platform system integrator, while Leonardo will develop the combat system. According to the companies, the ships are being designed for operations within interconnected multinational forces, with extensive integration of sensors, weapons, command systems and platform controls.

Each destroyer is planned to be 180 metres long, displace 13,500 tonnes and carry a crew of 251. The stated range is 4,000 nautical miles. The platform design includes a DC power sub-network with energy storage, an integrated steering and stabilisation system, and further development of the ship management system.

Leonardo’s combat system will centre on the new-generation SADOC 5 C5I system and a fully digital, high-power S-band AESA radar, alongside an MBDA weapon system. The companies say the combination is intended to provide integrated air and missile defence against conventional missiles as well as ballistic and hypersonic threats. The combat architecture is also designed to support information sharing and interoperability across operational domains.

Digital integration is a further focus of the programme. Fincantieri describes the DDX as part of its Navis Sapiens concept, in which data from onboard systems is brought together to support operational decisions, technical management and maintenance. A connection between the ship and shore-based infrastructure is intended to support predictive maintenance and digital logistics. The ships are also designed to manage unmanned surface and underwater assets.

The signing moves the programme from planning into contracted development, with detailed industrial work now set to proceed through OSN and its two shareholders. For the Italian Navy, the ships promise a substantial increase in destroyer size and a new air-defence architecture. Their scheduled deliveries in the next decade will determine when those planned capabilities become available to the fleet.