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Italy

Fincantieri

Salvatore Todaro class (U212A)

Italian Navy diesel-electric attack submarine built by Fincantieri under license from Germany's Type 212A design, fitted with air-independent propulsion fuel cells for extended submerged endurance. Four boats give Italy a quiet, capable coastal and littoral submarine force shared in design lineage with the German Navy's U212 fleet.

In service since 2006 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

250

m depth

8,000

nmi

1,450

crew

💲 ≈ $500,000,000 — Approximate build cost per boat

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Italian export-licensed

UAMA authorisation; standard EU/Wassenaar controls.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2006. Status: active · ~4 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

$1.3B – $1.8B

Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).: 6

Stronger than 53% of submarines

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 57.2 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 1,450 t
Submerged speed Maximum speed while submerged (submarines). Higher is faster underwater.: 20 kn

Stronger than 29% of submarines
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.: 8,000 nmi

Stronger than 50% of submarines
Test depth Maximum rated diving depth (submarines). Deeper is harder to detect and engage. Actual crush depth is classified.: 250 m

Stronger than 26% of submarines
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 27
Propulsion plant Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: Diesel-electric with fuel-cell air-independent propulsion

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $500,000,000

Stronger than 78% of submarines
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 4

Stronger than 39% of submarines
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 39% of submarines

Specifications compiled from public Fincantieri and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Fincantieri Salvatore Todaro class (U212A) used for? +

The Fincantieri Salvatore Todaro class (U212A) is a submarine typically used for anti ship, isr.

How many countries operate the Fincantieri Salvatore Todaro class (U212A)? +

The Fincantieri Salvatore Todaro class (U212A) is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Fincantieri Salvatore Todaro class (U212A) cost? +

The Fincantieri Salvatore Todaro class (U212A) has an approximate unit cost of 500,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.