Italian destroyer Audace (D 551)
Audace in La Spezia on 9 November 2008. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Italy | |
| Name | Audace |
| Namesake | Audace |
| Operator | Italian Navy |
| Builder | Cantiere navale di Riva Trigoso shipyards |
| Laid down | 17 April 1968 |
| Launched | 2 October 1971 |
| Commissioned | 16 November 1972 |
| Decommissioned | 28 September 2006 |
| Identification | Pennant number: D 551 |
| Fate | Scrapped in Aliaga Turkey 2018 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Audace-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 4,554 tons full load |
| Length | 140.7 m (461 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2-shaft geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
| Complement | 380 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 AB-212ASW helicopters |
Audace (D 551) was the lead ship of the Audace-class destroyer of the Italian Navy.
Development
The design of these ships was related to the previous Impavido-class, but they were meant as a decisive improvement over these older vessels. They hull was more capable to resist high sea conditions, incorporating an aft superstructure used to accommodating two AB-212 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. This gave the vessels an ASW capability, with improved sonars and torpedo tubes.[1]
The superstructures were built with aluminium alloys in two blocks with one mack (this is the combination with the funnels supporting metallic, short trees used for radar equipment) each. The distance between the two superstructure blocks was high, as both the propulsion systems were located at midships and over this, the 76 mm gun battery. The aft superstructure was dedicated to the Tartar/SM-1 missiles and hangar.[2]
Due to its anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-ship characteristics, the Ardito was the most modern that had been conceived and built up to then in the field of military naval construction. type, entered service in December 1973.
Construction and career
She was laid down on 17 April 1968 and launched on 2 October 1971 by Cantiere navale di Riva Trigoso. Commissioned on 16 November 1972 with the hull number D 551 and decommissioned on 28 September 2006.
Audace was the pride of the Navy in the 1970s, serving for 35 years until 2006. She was sent to Aliaga to be scrapped on 7 May 2018.[3]
Gallery
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Audace being launched on 2 October 1971.
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Decommissioned Audace transiting the Messina Strait by tug to Aliaga to be demolished and scrapped on 8 May 2018
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Audace's flag on display on 21 November 2008.
References
- ^ "Audace class Guided-Missile Destroyer". Helis.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ "Audace Class - Guided-missile destroyer". Archived from the original on 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
- ^ "Da Castellammare alla Turchia: così finisce l'Ardito, gloria della Marina italiana". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
External links
- Audace (D 551) Marina Militare website