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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
20
kn
8,000
nmi
1,450
t
27
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.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Salvatore Todaro class (U212A) can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
UGM-84 Sub-Harpoon (optional) 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
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
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Rubin Design Bureau Borei-class 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.
