Maestrale - ASW Frigate (8 ship)

photo by Marina Militare Italiana

photo by US Navy

Layout of Maestrale

Italian version

Dimensions: 122,7 x 12,9 x 4,2 (5,9) m

Displacement: 3.040 tons full load

Propulsion: 2 Fiat-General Electric LM-2500 gas turbine, 50.000 HP (36.765 kW), for 33 knots; 2 Grandi Motori Trieste BL-230-20-DVM diesel motors, 11.000 HP (8.088 kW), for 22 knot

Crew: 24 +201

Air component: 2 AB-212 ASW and in future NH90 NFH

Armament: 4 OTO Teseo Mk 2 from single and twin launchers; 1 Albatros launcher for 16 Aspide missile with 13 km of range; 1 naval gun Oto Melara 127/54 mm; 4 twin machine guns Breda 40/70 mm; 2 tubes torpedoes launcher from 533 mm B-516 for wire-guided Whitehead A-184 torpedoes for ASW and ASuW; 6 tube torpedoes launcher from 324mm for the ASW.

Radar: Selenia RAN-10S for air/surface search; SMA SPS-702 for surface search; SMA SPS-703 for navigation; Selenia GSP-75 for the Albatross and 127/54; 2 Selenia GSP-74 for 40/70 mm

Sonar: Raytheon DE 1146; towed active/passive sonar that can reach the 300m of immersion, subsequently amended to help locate mines

Electronic Werfare: interceptor Electronics SLR-4 and 2 jammer Selenia SLQ-D

Program/history: frigates class developed as an improvement by Lupo class. The first 6 units were ordered in 1976, the last two in 1980. The units were built at shipyards in Riva Trigoso and were completed at Muggiano after launch. In 1994, were amended in the bulb of sonar and towed sonar to increase performance of research.
In 2005 further updates were decided, for units Libeccio, Espero, Scirocco and Zeffiro, in order to lengthen the operational life because of delays in the FREMM program, the cost would be about 217 million euros, inclusive of the MLU of 2 De La Penne destroyers. The 4 frigates not modernised will be used until exhausted and probably use for spare for the 4 more. The total cost the upgrade was as follows in the various defence budgets:
2004 => 42,7 milions of €
2005 => 50,2 milions of €
2006 => 20,4 milions of €
2007 => 33,1 milions of €
2008 => 43,9 milions of €
2009 => 26,7 milions of €

Maestrale: -

Grecale: -

Libeccio: -

Scirocco: -

Aliseo: -

Euro: -

Espero: -

Zeffiro: -

Builder: Fincantieri S.p.a. on Riva Trigoso and Muggiano

Number	Name	Year comm.	Homeport
F570	Maestrale	1982	La Spezia
F571	Grecale	1983	La Spezia
F572	Libeccio	1983	La Spezia
F573	Scirocco	1983	La Spezia
F574	Aliseo	1983	Taranto
F575	Euro	1984	Taranto
F576	Espero	1984	Taranto
F577	Zeffiro	1985	Taranto

Reference: Marina Militare Italiana

Photo by: Marina Militare Italiana

Update: 14/07/2008