Minerva-class corvette

Urania at Malaga in 2001
Class overview
Name: Minerva class
Builders: Fincantieri
Operators:  Marina Militare
In commission: 1987
Completed: 8
Active: 6
Retired: 2
General characteristics
Type:Corvette
Displacement:1,285 tonnes
Length:87 m (285 ft)
Beam:10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught:3.2–4.8 m (10–16 ft)
Propulsion:2 Diesel Grandi Motori Trieste BM-230.20 DVM outputting 11.000 hp (8.203 kW)
Speed:25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range:3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:7 officers, 113 men
Sensors and
processing systems:
AA/ASu-Radar Selenia SPS-774 (RAN 10S) E/F Band

1 SMA SPS-728 Navigation radar

Sonar: Raytheon/Elsag DE-1167
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
Fire control: 1 Selenia SPG-75 (RTN 30X) for Albatros and 76mm
Communication: IPN-10 (Mini-SADOC), Link 11
Armament:1 Otobreda 76 mm

Sea Sparrow or Selenia Aspide in an 8-cell launcher
6 × 324mm TLS ASW torpedoes

4 heavy machine guns

The Minerva class is a series of corvettes of the Italian Marina Militare. They were built in two series of four units in the 1980s and 1990s. The ships have fairly good speed and armament, including a 76mm general-purpose gun, but, due to their emphasis on anti-submarine warfare, they lack anti-missile capabilities. These units are designed to operate in coastal areas. Their main mission includes sea policing, patrol, fisheries protection and naval commando training.

Ships of the class

Name Pennant number Builder[1] Laid Down[1] Launched[1] Commissioned[1] Status
Minerva F 551 Fincantieri, Riva Trigoso 11 March 1985 3 April 1986 10 June 1987 Retired 2012
Urania F 552 4 April 1985 21 June 1986 1 June 1987 Active
Danaide F 553 Fincantieri, Muggiano 26 June 1985 18 October 1986 9 September 1987
Sfinge F 554 2 September 1986 16 May 1987 13 February 1988 Active
Driade F 555 Fincantieri, Riva Trigoso 18 March 1988 11 March 1989 19 April 1990 Active
Chimera F 556 21 December 1988 7 April 1990 15 January 1991 Active
Fenice F 557 6 September 1988 9 September 1989 11 September 1990 Active
Sibilla F 558 Fincantieri, Muggiano 16 October 1989 15 September 1990 16 May 1991 Retired 2012[2]

As of 2013, Minerva and Sibilla have been placed in reserve.[3]

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Saunders 2002, p. 362.
  2. Marina Militare
  3. "CORVETTE Marina Militare". www.naviitaliane.it. Retrieved 8 May 2013.

References