Maestrale class
 Maestrale class
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 Maestrale (F 570) during Operation Enduring Freedom |
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| Overview | |
| Type | frigate |
| units | 8th |
| Shipyard |
Fincantieri , Genoa and La Spezia |
| Order | 1976, 1980 |
| delivery | 1981-1984 |
| period of service |
Since 1982 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
Maximum: 3,040 ts |
| length |
122.7 m |
| width |
12.9 m |
| Draft |
4.2 m, maximum: 5.9 m |
| crew |
230 (including 24 officers) |
| drive |
|
| speed |
32 kn (gas turbines), 21 kn (diesel) |
| Range |
6,000 nm at 15 kn |
| Armament |
|
| Management electronics |
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| helicopter | |
The Maestrale class is a frigate class of the Italian Navy . The class consists of eight ships built in two series and named after the winds by Fincantieri in Genoa and La Spezia in the late 1970s and early 1980s .
history
The Maestrale-class frigates formed the backbone of the Italian fleet from the 1980s to the 2010s. From 2007, measures were taken to extend the service life of the ships and to increase their combat value. They are currently being gradually replaced by Franco-Italian FREMM frigates .
The Maestrale class is a further development of the successful and very fast Lupo class . Due to the enlargement that was considered necessary, small compromises had to be made with the maximum speed. Because of this and also because of the higher procurement and operating costs, the Maestrale class could not follow the commercial success of its predecessor class. The ships proved to be reliable "workhorses" in the Italian Navy, which were operationally stressed far beyond the intended level. The ships of the Maestrale class were originally intended primarily for fighting submarines , but from the outset they also had anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and on- board helicopters . This flexibility of use paid off after the end of the Cold War.
units
| No. | Surname | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Off-duty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F570 | Maestrals | March 8, 1978 | 2nd February 1981 | March 7, 1982 | December 15, 2015 |
| F571 | Grecale | March 21, 1979 | September 12, 1981 | 5th February 1983 | active |
| F572 | Libeccio | 1st August 1979 | 7th September 1981 | 5th February 1983 | active |
| F573 | Scirocco | February 26, 1980 | April 17, 1982 | 20th September 1983 | February 20, 2020 |
| F574 | Aliseo | February 26, 1980 | October 29, 1982 | 20th September 1983 | September 8, 2017 |
| F575 | Euro | April 15, 1981 | March 2, 1983 | April 7, 1984 | July 25, 2018 |
| F576 | Espero | August 1, 1982 | November 19, 1983 | May 4th 1985 | in reserve |
| F577 | Zeffiro | March 15, 1983 | May 19, 1984 | May 4th 1985 | active |
All frigates were built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso , with the exception of the frigate Grecale , which was built in Muggiano near La Spezia.
The frigates of the first batch are (or were last) subordinate to a naval unit in La Spezia ( 1ª Divisione navale ) , Aliseo, Euro, Espero and Zeffiro are (or were) stationed in Taranto and are subordinate to the 2ª Divisione navale .
Zeffiro (F 577)
Zeffiro (F 577)
Scirocco (F 573)
Maestrale class (1931-1943)
This previous class consisted of the destroyers
- Maestrals
- Grecale
- Libeccio (sunk by the submarine HMS Upholder on November 9, 1941 )
- Scirocco (sunk in a heavy storm in March 1942 after the second Syrtegefecht )
These 106 m long ships displaced over 2,200 tons. During the Second World War , these four ships formed the 10th destroyer squadron of the fleet command in La Spezia . The association was used several times in the Mediterranean against the British fleet.
See also
- List of ship classes in the Italian Navy
- List of winches and wind systems
- Italian naval units in World War II
