Sorry, not sure what you meant. Do not know about Italy. It is always very cheap than France FREMM. I guess "what is included" differs.SD67 wrote:Agreed. T26 is expensive whatever way you cut it. FREMM unit cost for Italy averages 600 million EUR. FTI build cost budget is 420 million EUR/unit. There is significant inefficiency baked into the T26 two yard build process.
But, FTI "average cost" is £3.3Bn/5 = £660M. Its "unit cost" is of course much cheaper, because unit cost is by definition "the cost to add one more hull" = 6th hull. In case of T26, its "average cost" is £1.2Bn or so. But it is for the first batch of 3 hulls. T26's "unit cost" is unknown, but as the first 3 hulls are "only" £3.6Bn, and detailed design and initial inefficiency cost as much as 2 unit cost (in case of French FREMM, it is reported to their congress that it amounts as much as 3 unit cost equivalent), the T26 unit cost might be as low as £750M. Actually, considering the "demonstration phase" £800M and so on, I am guessing the T26 unit cost (= cost to build one more hull) is £850-900M. Expensive? Yes, but considering its quiet propulsion, large hull, mission bay and 24-cell Mk.41 VLS, I think it is just reflecting the capability (although 10-20% inefficiency of industry shall be added).
# inefficiency of industry: If UK builds something equivalent to FTI, it will surely be expensive than French FTI. French government is supporting its ship building industry for long, with many export orders to keep up the skills of their labors/engineers. UK HMG did not do it and less efficiency is just a reasonable result of it.