Italian cruiser Vittorio Veneto (550)

"Vittorio Veneto" was a helicopter cruiser that served with the Italian "Marina Militare", the Italian navy. Originally it was intended to be a class of two ships specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), but only "Vittorio Veneto" entered into service in 1969, its sister ship "Italia" was cancelled. "Vittorio Veneto" was decommissioned in 2003.

The ship was laid down on July 10 1965 and launched on July 12 1969 at the Italcantieri plant of Castellammare di Stabia. It entered in service in the October of the same year, in the naval base of Taranto. "Vittorio Veneto" remained the flagship of the Marina Militare until the aircraft carrier "Giuseppe Garibaldi" was commissioned in 1985.

"Vittorio Veneto" has a displacement of 9,500 tons. It received an armament comprising an Terrier anti-aircraft system, 8 dual-purpose OTO-Melara 76/62mm guns, ASROC antisom launchers, and two triple 324 mm torpedo launcher. It can house up to 9 light helicopters, of the types Agusta-Bell AB 204 and, later, 6 AB 212, which can be housed in the long rear deck. The electronics was rather advanced for the time, comprising a three-dimensional AN/SPS-52 B radar and an SPS-768 (RAN 3L) air search radar. For the antisom war a bulge sonar AN/SQS-23 was installed.

"Vittorio Veneto" was propelled by two steam turbines providing 73,000 shp, for a maximum speed of 30 knots.

The ship went under an extensive updating between 1980 and 1982. The electronics was updated, and launchers for Otomat missiles were installed, together with two OTO Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO compact gun mounts for AA defence and Standard SM-1MR SAM missiles. The engine feeding system was shifted from naft to diesel fuel for standardisation and environmental reasons.

"Vittorio Veneto" was decommissioned in 2003, being the last cruiser active of all Western European fleets. Its air coverage capability will be supplied by the new V/STOL aircraft carrier "Cavour".

"Vittorio Veneto" will become a museum ship within the Taranto harbour.

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/vittorio-veneto.htm GlobalSecurity.org]