Are French and Italian frigates lightly armed?

Why are modern French and Italian warships comparatively lightly armed?

Italian ships are not lightly armed, and French fits are adequate for their designed missions even when other navies choose more visible weapons.

Modern Italian frigates carry substantial armament, including multiple medium guns, torpedoes, missiles, and remote weapon stations. OTO Melara guns are especially prominent. In the FREMM comparison, French ships have two double torpedo launchers while the Italian ships have two triple launchers. Italian gun arrangements vary by version but include more weapons than their French counterparts. French armament is still considered adequate for the missions those ships were designed to perform.