French and Italian FREMMs occupy different places in their fleets

French frigates support a fleet whose most conspicuous status assets include its carrier and nuclear submarines. Italian Bergamini-class ships have a more prominent role in routine visible presence abroad, even though carriers and amphibious ships remain central to the fleet. Their distinctive appearance is interpreted as a deliberate expression of Italian identity, despite common ancestry with the French Aquitaine class. The preference for the Italian appearance is an aesthetic judgement; the suggestion that its additional protrusions could reduce stealth remains tentative. Alsace and Lorraine illustrate the French air-defence FREMM variants supplementing the two Horizon ships. Each navy's priorities and public identity help explain the designs alongside their underlying equipment.