Italy has formally opened the procurement pathway for two next-generation air-defense destroyers after publishing a prior information notice in the EU’s Official Journal on January 5, 2026. The move signals a long-term investment in high-end naval air defense, ensuring the Italian Navy can replace its most capable surface combatants and remain interoperable with NATO partners.

Italy has taken a concrete step toward renewing the backbone of its surface fleet, formally initiating the acquisition process for two next-generation air-defense destroyers. According to a prior information notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union on January 5, 2026, the Italian Ministry of Defense plans to begin a negotiated procurement procedure on February 18, 2026, backed by an overall financial envelope of approximately 2.7 billion euros, excluding VAT. Defense officials and industry sources describe the move as a key milestone in replacing the Navy’s aging top-tier air-defense ships with more capable and future-ready platforms.

The DDX destroyers are intended to replace the two Durand de la Penne-class ships, Durand de la Penne and Francesco Mimbelli, which entered service in the early 1990s and have provided Italy with a credible area air-defense capability for more than three decades. While those vessels have undergone multiple upgrades, Italian naval planners acknowledge that their sensor architecture, missile capacity, and growth margins are no longer sufficient to address emerging threats or to sustain Italy’s role as a framework nation in NATO maritime task groups.