Alpino-class frigate

The Alpino class were a group of two frigates built for the Italian Navy during the Cold War.

Carabiniere (F 581)
Class overview
Name: Alpino class
Builders: Cantieri Navali Riuniti (CNR)
Operators:  Italian Navy
Preceded by: Bergamini class
Succeeded by: Lupo class
In service: 1963-68
In commission: 1968 -97
Planned: 4
Completed: 2
Cancelled: 2
Retired: 2
General characteristics [1]
Type: Frigate
Displacement:
  • Standard: 2,000 long tons (2,032 t)
  • Full load: 2,700 long tons (2,743 t)
Length: 113.30 m (371 ft 9 in)
Beam: 13.10 m (43 ft 0 in)
Draught: 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph) with gas turbines
  • 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) with diesels only
Range: 3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (diesels)
Complement: 263
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar:
  • SPS-12 Search
  • SPQ-2 air/surface search/navigation
  • RTN-30X, RTN-10X fire control
  • Sonar:
  • SQS-43 hull sonar
  • SQA-10 VDS
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 SLQ-D ECM system
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 × AB-204[2] or AB-212ASW[3] helicopters
Aviation facilities: Telescopic hangar for 2 medium helicopters.

Design

The design was originally conceived as an enlarged version of the Canopo-class frigates. The design was however changed radically with a CODAG machinery suite comprising gas turbines and diesels. These ships introduced the use of ship-based helicopters and variable depth sonar into the Italian Navy.

The ships underwent significant modernisation in the 1980s with the fitting of new sonar and electronic warfare equipment.

Ships

Initially four ships were planned to be ordered in 1959 to 1961. These ships were to be named Circe, Climene, Perseo and Polluce in honour of the World War II-era Spica-class torpedo boats of those names. These ships were postponed while the designs were updated and two ships were ordered in 1962. Both vessels were built by CNR in Riva Trigoso and named after types of soldiers and specifically after two World War II Soldati-class destroyers.

Ship Pennant Number[1] Laid down[1] Launched[1] Commissioned[1] Decommissioned
Alpino F 580 27 February 1963 10 June 1967 14 January 1968 31 March 2006[4]
Carabiniere F 581 9 January 1965 30 September 1967 28 April 1968 19 November 2008[5]

The ships were used as auxiliary vessels from the mid-1990s. Carabiniere was used as a trials ship for new missiles (PAAMS) and radar.

Citations
  1. Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 210.
  2. Blackman 1971, p. 187.
  3. Moore 1985, p. 273.
  4. "Almanacco storico navale: Alpino (F 580 - A 5384)". Marina Militare. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  5. "Almanacco storico navale: Carabiniere (F 581)". Marina Militare. Retrieved 12 July 2012.

Sources
  • Blackman, Raymond V.B. Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd, 1971. ISBN 0-354-00096-9.
  • Gardiner, Roger and Stephen Chumbley. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
  • Moore, John. Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86. London: Jane's Yearbooks, 1985. ISBN 0-7106-0814-4.
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