Caio Duilio (D554)

Caio Duilio (D554) Story

France and Italy share a stealth-oriented Horizon-class guided missile frigate design. The former are "Forbin" and "Chevalier Paul", the latter are "Andrea Dorio" and "Caio Duilio" (the subject of this article). While DCNS Lorient took over the construction of the French warships, several local Italian shipyards were involved in the construction of the Marina Militare, which was further divided into the Orizzonte class. As an anti-aircraft destroyer, her main duties at sea are to block airspace and suppress incoming air targets.

They can also serve as command and control ships, hunting down enemy submarines and responding to long-range surface attacks due to weapon balance.

NOTE: Some sources classify Horizon-class ships as guided missile frigates.

Caio Duilio was ordered by the Italian Navy on 27 October 2000 and saw her keel laid by the Italian shipbuilding industry on 19 September 2003. She was launched on October 23, 2007, and officially commissioned on April 3, 2009. Her home port of La Spezia is on the upper west coast of Italian boots and fights under the motto "Nomen Numen".

As of April 2018, she is still serving.

At the time of construction, the warship had a full-load displacement of 7,770 tons, an overall length of 501.5 feet, a beam of 66.6 feet, and a draft of 24.9 feet. A fuel efficient combination diesel or gas (CODOG) unit for propulsion consisting of 4 Avio (General Electric) LM2500 gas turbines and 2 SEMT-Pielstick 12 PA6 STC marine diesel engines, 2 axle rear drive. 1 x bow thruster is also suitable for precision maneuvering and has additional power from 2 x power plants and 4 x Isotta Fraschini VL1716T2ME diesel generators.

Under ideal conditions, the maximum speed (under full power of the gas turbine) is 29 knots, and the cruising speed (under the diesel marine unit) is around 18 knots. The range is up to 7,000 nautical miles at a constant speed of less than 18 knots.

The warship can carry supplies at sea for up to 45 days and has a full crew cabin for up to 255 people, including officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers. A typical aircrew consists of about 230 people, including a modest air force and various security personnel.

The installed system is equipped with a full range of modern and advanced sensors and processing components, including the Selex RAN 30Z/I (RASS) E/F band surface search radar, Selex SPY-790 (EMPAR) multifunction 3D phased radar (G-band) and Thales/Selex S1850M D-Band Long Range 3D Radar Kit. The SLQ-750 forms the ESM customization, and the Nettuno 4100 series units are responsible for the electronic warfare (EW) portion.

Radar jammers, anti-torpedo systems and chaff/flare launchers complete the long list of systems found on board.

Weapons are a mix of projectile-based and missile-based weapons. There are 3 x 76mm OTO-Melara "Super Rapid" main guns and 2 x 25mm/80 caliber OTO-Melara (Oerlikon) automatic cannons. 2 x EuroTorp torpedo launchers handle a stack of MU90 light torpedoes.

At the heart of the aircraft, however, is its DCNS "Sylver" A50, a 48-unit Vertical Launch System (VLS) armed with either MBDA "Aster 15" or long-range MBDA "Aster 30" surface-to-air missiles (and as required) support for an additional 16 units). Also available are 8 x S/S Teseo Mk2/A rocket launchers.

In 2017, a pair of SITEP LRAD MASS CS-424 sonic cannons were installed to deal with specific threats to ships.

The hangar and helipad combination above the stern can launch and retrieve medium lift helicopters, usually an AgustaWestland AW101 or NHIndustries NH90 can be seen. These helicopters can be deployed for resupply at sea or retrofitted as needed as search and rescue (SAR) or anti-submarine/anti-ship platforms, extending the ship's tactical value.

The shape of the Caio Duilio has many physical features consistent with modern ship design: uninterrupted full-length bowling, board side panels, closed main structure, etc. The flue is concentrated near the midship and completely closed by the method of plane design. The main mast is also fully enclosed and sits on top of the bridge superstructure, while a second mast is located amidships and a third shorter mast is located above the stern superstructure section.

A flight deck with hangar facilities forms the stern area.

After entering service in 2009, Caio Duilio performed joint exercises with her Horizon-class sisters (including French twins) - the first time the Quads have trained together in one place. From there she took part in several festivities and trips in 2010 and 2011. In the latter, she also participated in Proud Manta 2011, which involved other NATO high seas elements.

Although the ship's presence has so far been rather low-key and peaceful, it is fully equipped to perform many duties for the Italian Navy, including anti-piracy operations, humanitarian/disaster relief and escort/battle group escort.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing