Fincantieri Commits to Naval Drones Next Generation in Collaboration with Defcomm
The Italian giant accelerates its transition towards maritime automation and strengthens European technological sovereignty in maritime defence and security
The Italian naval group Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders, has taken a decisive step towards intelligent maritime autonomy by signing a strategic alliance with the start-up Defcomm, a company specialising in unmanned systems. Both companies will collaborate on the development and industrialisation of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), a rapidly expanding field being redefine the future of maritime defence and civil surveillance.
The agreement, announced on 21st October, forms part of the global trend towards adopting dual-use technologies — that is, platforms designed for both military missions and civilian operations, ranging from port security to environmental monitoring. Fincantieri, which already has extensive experience in building state-of-the-art combat ships, submarines, and cruise liners, is now broadening its scope of innovation into a key area of naval digitalisation and operational autonomy.
According to sources within the group, the alliance intends to co-invest in the industrialisation phase of the vehicles designed by Defcomm, following the successful completion of endurance, long-range navigation, and operational capability tests in challenging maritime environments. The new drones will be capable of operating autonomously, remotely, or manually, providing strategic versatility for patrol, intelligence, search and rescue, and coastal surveillance missions.
Integration into Maritime Units and Modular Vision
A key aspect of the agreement is the direct integration of these systems into vessels built by Fincantieri, enabling customers to benefit from a fully interoperable and comprehensive solution — combining the mother ship and autonomous vehicle. This approach will support joint missions in which drones can be deployed from larger platforms to carry out specific tasks, thereby reducing human risk and operational costs.
In addition, the agreement includes a specialised training programme for technical and military personnel to ensure a seamless transition to the operation of hybrid fleets, where manned and unmanned vessels coexist.
Innovation and industrial sovereignty
For Mr. Federico Zarghetta, Defcomm´s Director and one of Italy's leading experts in naval automation, the collaboration with Fincantieri represents ‘the culmination of decades of work on unmanned solutions’. From his point of view, combining Defcomm's technological agility with Fincantieri's infrastructure and industrial capacity will enable ‘surface drones to be taken to the next level, combining performance, sustainability and European technological sovereignty’.
For its part, Fincantieri emphasises that this initiative is part of its strategy to strengthen Italian industrial sovereignty and its leadership in the technological transition of the maritime sector, an objective aligned with the European Union's innovation plans in the areas of defence, security and digital transition.
An unstoppable trend on the seas
The development of USVs (Uncrewed Surface Vehicles) has become a global priority. Countries such as United States, United Kingdom, France, Norway, and Japan are already deploying autonomous units capable of carrying out patrol and maritime border control operations. In the Mediterranean, Italy aims to establish itself as a technological leader by integrating civil and defence innovation within a sustainable framework.
The new systems also represent a significant boost for the shipbuilding and naval components industry, which will need to adapt to the production of lightweight structures, artificial intelligence systems, high-precision sensors, and autonomous navigation software.
Future Prospects
In the coming months, Fincantieri and Defcomm plan to begin joint trials in real-world environments, possibly in the Adriatic Sea, with a view to starting mass production in 2026. The Italian company is also considering taking part in European maritime defence cooperation programmes that promote the use of interoperable unmanned platforms among member states.
In an increasingly competitive global landscape, this alliance not only reinforces Italy’s position as a powerhouse in naval technology but also marks a structural shift in the way we understand the sea: a new era in which unmanned vessels will operate alongside traditional fleets, transform maritime operations and push the boundaries of European naval engineering.
Source: Europa Azul