The European Union has begun work on a next-generation warship that could be commissioned around the 2040s. This was announced by the head of the European Defense Agency's maritime division, Jürgen Skrabek, Defense News reports, according to UNN.
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It is noted that EU defense ministers may sign a letter of intent to implement the project in two weeks. According to him, six states are very interested in this, four of which have a large navy.
According to estimates, the EU countries will need at least thirty warships in the future. Skrabek does not believe that all of these vessels will be built under the European Combat Vesse program, which could have a budget of more than 20 billion euros.
Fernando Miguel Garcia, chairman of the European Naval Industry Group, says that it may be a question of creating a “mother ship” capable of carrying unmanned aerial vehicles:
The new generation of ships will be completely different from the ones we have now, because the naval warfare scenario is changing dramatically,
Ignacio Cuartero, Director of the EU Military Staff's Concepts and Capabilities Directorate, added that the compact vessel should be able to withstand “the entire spectrum of threats,” including drones and hypersonic anti-ship missiles.
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