European Patrol Corvette (EPC)

[Titus K]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNfjpfJmE7Q

 

[Titus K]

Contrary to some recent reports, the French Chief of Defence Staff has stated that France is not withdrawing from the program.
The delivery of the French version for the overseas is simply being delayed.

3 are to be delivered before 2035, the other 3 probably after.

From the military programming law

The Floreal surveillance frigates are being kept in service longer while awaiting their replacement by offshore corvettes. The latter have been delayed in order to strengthen the response to operational requirements and to fully benefit from the work carried out under the European Patrol Corvette (EPC) program.

 

[Phoenix_jz]

Contrary to some recent reports, the French Chief of Defence Staff has stated that France is not withdrawing from the program.
The delivery of the French version for the overseas is simply being delayed.

3 are to be delivered before 2035, the other 3 probably after.

From the military programming law

That is good to hear!

Unfortunately there is less positive news from Italy.

From CSMM Bergotto's hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense - it appears the worry I had expressed in this prior post were correct.

The MMI's target for the 'light' patrol ships remains at eight and encompasses both the PPX and MMPC/EPC. The MMI plans to cap PPX procurement at four ships (recalling the original contract was for 3 + 3 on option), but this has also reduced the planned MMPC order by an equal amount, from eight to four ships.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Unfortunately there is less positive news from Italy.

That is likely related to this bit of foolishness:

https://www.defensenews.com/global/...it-spending-on-defense-amid-wobbling-economy/

 

[Arjen]

Collateral damage from the current Persian Gulf war.

 

[Phoenix_jz]

That is likely related to this bit of foolishness:

I suspect not - if you look at where other asks are placed, I think it's just a case of these kinds of platforms not offering enough return relative to other priorities, like additional DDGs.

The Marina Militare has always been consistent on wanting to have eight of the 'light' (relative to PPA) patrol ships. They wanted them all to be corvettes, but the EPC/MMPC program caused to many delays and forced them to adopt a class of OPVs. So if they still wanted a full eight MMPC, they'd have to be asking for something in addition to the force structure they said they needed, and that's a campaign they had never really compared (versus, say, the asks for more submarines, destroyers, and frigates).

The wider deficit spend issue is almost a red herring, in my view, simply because I don't think the government was ever serious about using it in the first place. Prior to NEC being a thing, the government was clamoring for how it could not spent any more without getting an exception method like NEC. And then as NEC arrived, the government suddenly stopped talking about it. Given they never included any funding boosts from NEC into the budget outlook from the NEC, I don't think the MoD was ever banking on getting anything from it, for good or for ill.