Fincantieri offered the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant of its FREMM frigate (Bergamini class). Fincantieri originally said that the general hull configuration of the Bergamini design will require little or no modification to meet Australian requirements, including the incorporation of the CEAFAR radar, although it has confirmed that some redesign would have been required to incorporate the US Navy Mark 45 five inch naval gun. In 2016, then Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne stated that "one of the advantages for this company is that this vessel has been built, it is already in operation. One of the disadvantages is that the company doesn't operate here."
