Maestrale class frigate

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Maestrale class is the most important frigate class for the Marina Militare (Italian Navy) of the late 20th century . The class is composed by eight vessels and they were all built by Fincantieri S.p. A, Riva Trigoso, except Grecale built by Fincantieri S.p.A. - Muggiano, La Spezia.

The "Maestrale" class Frigates have their primary role in Anti Submarine Warfare, even if they exhibit a wide flexibility, thus making them also capable Anti Air Warfare and Anti Surface Warfare roles. Ships of this class have been widely used in various international missions, either under NATO or ONU flag, and during normal operations of the Italian Navy.

This versatile class will be likely replaced by new types of ships, the Rinascimento class, from 2010 onwards.

Project

These ships were built with the experience and the technology already developed for the previous Lupo Class, the most successful of the military ship built by Italians after the war. Maestrale were quite bigger and heavier, so they were slower, but still capable to handle around 32 knt. Their project saw a big superstructure, with a big turrion and only one funnel. The trees were two, but one of them is quite low, the other is much taller. Superstructures continues without interruption until the hangar, and they are made, as usual, with light alloys.

The propulsion system is based on two gas-turbine LM-2500 and two diesels, in a CODAG configuration, that make possible use diesel for cruise and turbines for high speed. The only problem of this configuration, highly economical, is to make an enough powerful diesel to achieve sufficient cruise speed without overload diesel engines, or help them with a continuous use (at low, non economical power) of the turbines. In this case, this solution, already developed for Lupos, was successful. Endurance was 5000 miles at 15 knts.

As weaponry, these ships are armed with an array of systems: foredeck has a Compatto gun, 127mm capable to shot 40 c.min. It's a very bulky weapon, but it was possible to fit it in this relatively small hull, seen also that Lupos were fitted with the same weapon. It has 66 shells on 3 ready fire carousels. It had also low reaction times and high elevation, with a 32kg shells and 23km range.

Behind it there is the Albatross missile system, with an octuple cell capable to fire Sea Sparrow or Aspide. This latter is a very modern weapon, with monopulse guide and a powerful rocket-engine, and advanced flight controls. With a depots of 16 missiles, the system is reloadable with a Riva-Calzoni system, capable to load until 4 missiles at once, making virtually all the missiles in the depots ready to be launched.

After the turrion there are two CIWS DARDO, with 2x40mm L70 Bofors guns. They have a very rapid mechanical systems, and depots with over 700 shells, and fires around 600 c.min. The proximity fuses and the fire control systems help this unmanned turret to react quickly to incoming missiles.

After this there are four OTOMAT missiles, weapons capable to struck at 160 or more km away, with a 210kg warhead. They are fitted over the hangar, where are two AB-212 helicopters, ASW multirole machines.

Finally, there are four torpedo-launchers, two triple ILAS-3 (similar to Mk 32) with 324mm caliber, with 12 torpedoes available (not know if they are shared also with helicopters), and the most particular weapon, the A.184, a modern wired torpedo with two launch tubes and 6-8 weapons. This is the main weapon for ASW tasks, but it also be used as anti-ship weapon, even if its propulsion system (electric) not allows great speed and range. Compared to ASROC, this weapon have many advantages, and not require a bulky launcher, but need several minutes, even at 35knts to reach 9km, while Asroc can do this in much less time.

These ships have also several electronic systems: 1 radar air and surface search RAN10S (160km) is placed over the smaller tree, a radar of navigation and surface search SPN703 is fitted on the main tree, a navigation radar is present as well, and finally, tree radars: 1 RTN-10X for gun and Aspide control, and 2 smaller RTN-20X for the DARDO systems, all fitted in the forward superstructure, separated from the aft by the funnel and the heat dissipators. As submarine search, there is a VDS DE 1164 sonar, and DE1160B hull mounted. As ECMs, there are two SCLAR rocket-launchers that are capable to launch chaff, flare but also HE rockets, up to 10km.

Several electronic and communication systems are fitted as well, and an IPN20 command and control system is present to integrate all the tactical information and use the weapon onboard.

The first of these ships entered in service just before the Falklands War, when the rest of the class entered in service the next tree years.

Lupo vs Maestrale

Lupos, entered in service in 1977, were the most successful and likely, the most powerful frigate of their times. Maestrale were a sort of 'Lupo encanched', with many modiphics. Maestrale shared the same, extremely slim hull (with a length/width of 10:1) but Maestrale were enlarged and loaded with many more systems. Lupos were 3 knts faster, and had 8 OTOMAT. Maestrale had many of Lupo's equipment, but arranged differently. Being heavier, they were 3 knts slower, but were still very fast for a missile frigate, and the endurance at economical speed was improved from 5,000 to 6,000 miles.

Maestrale had the half of OTOMATs but the twice of torpedo launchers (with the introduction of the new heavy torpedoes), twice the helicopters, and twice the sonars, having also a VDS. This, coupled with heavy torpedoes and 2 helicopters, improved dramatically the ASW capabilities. In fact, instead to be an anti-ship vessel, Maestrale were mainly ASW ones, and anti-ship and anti-aircraft/missiles were only for self-defence, secondary roles. The use of more modern equipments and an Albatross missile system improved for some aspects also the air defence.

However, this class had not success in international competitions, differently by Lupos. Not all of Maestrale was so improved, compared to Lupos. Maestrale were more costly, both as acquisition than operational, many of third world countries were not worried about the ASW warfare as NATO was, the anti-ship firepower wasn't impressive with only four missiles, even if with two helicopters was more possible localize vessels over the horizon and fully use the OTOMAT's range.

Maestrale had, still some shortcomings. The most important was the air-defence layout: while in Lupos the four weapons were placed both fore and aft ship, in Maestrale, because the double hangar, there was no possibility to do so, and all the weaponry was on foredeck and midships. CIWS Dardo were powerful, but sacrificed in a place, a sort of superstructure insenature, that not allowed them to fire forward or behind the ship, so Maestrale, despite having four powerful a/a weapons, have still dangerous blind spot in their arrangements. Interestingly, Lupos had SAM and Dardos all around the small hangar, leaving at fore only the 127mm, so their aft air defence was much stronger than fore defence. As firepower control it's not clear if Aspide and Compatto can act together, even against the same target, because it appears that only one RTN-10X is devoted to them.

After their entry in service, Maestrales were modernized with some minor programs, but as many other Italian ships, they were so armed and equipped, that no major improvement was made, limiting to improve the systems already present onboard. So, the equipment present of Maestrale in 2005 is almost equal to 1982, except for a pair of 20mm guns installed as 'anti-fast vessels close defence'.

Ships

Pennant number	Name	Builder	Launched	Commissioned
F570	Maestrale	CNR Riva Trigoso	2 February 1981	7 March 1982
F571	Grecale	CNR Muggiano	12 September 1981	5 February 1983
F 573	''Scirocco	CNR Riva Trigoso	17 April 1982	20 September 1983
F575	Euro	CNR Riva Trigoso	25 March 1983	7 April 1984
F572	Libeccio	CNR Riva Trigoso	7 September 1981	5 February 1983
F574	Aliseo	CNR Riva Trigoso	29 October 1982	20 September 1983
F576	Espero	CNR Riva Trigoso	19 November 1983	4 May 1985
F577	Zeffiro	CNR Riva Trigoso	19 May 1984	4 May 1985

References

• Enciclopedy Armi da guerra, De Agostini, 1984, pag. 1414-1415
• Po, Enrico I radar navali di Alenia, RID 12/1997

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