FLEETS #2: Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana) in 2014

A nice work that depicts all the Italian Navy warships that are in service by the members of shipbucket.com Enrr, Little Bird, Lazer_one, MConrads and MichoshiK.

Save the image to view the details: Italian Navy in 2014

INFOGRAPHICS #2: Virginia class nuclear powered fast attack submarines of US Navy

USS Virginia (SSN-774)

Virginia class submarines are the latest nuclear attack submarines operated by US Navy. They were conceived as a less expensive alternative to the Seawolf class attack submarines and they are planned to replace the older of the Los Angeles-class submarines. Virginia-class submarines will be acquired through 2043, and are expected to remain in service past 2060. Based on recent updates to the designs, some of the Virginia-class submarines are expected to still be in service in 2070. Below a great work by Stephen Rountree for the U.S. Navy, General Dynamics Electric Boat Corporation and Newport News Shipbuilding. At the left, a photo of the lead ship of the class, USS Virginia (SSN-774), while she returns to the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas called "alpha" sea trials, in July, 2004.

Cyclone class patrol coastal boats of the United States Navy

Written by D-Mitch



Cyclone class patrol ship. Photo: U.S. Navy

The Cyclone class is a class of 14 patrol coastal boats (PC) built by Bollinger Shipyards and commissioned between 1994 and 2000. The PC hull/propulsion design is based on  the Vosper Thornycroft design-built fast attack craft of the Ramadan class constructed for Egypt (six units completed the period 1981-1982), Oman (four units completed the period 1982-1989) and Kenya (two units completed the period 1989) which was selected by US Navy. The mission of the ships is coastal patrol, interdiction surveillance and to provide full mission support for U.S. Navy SEALs and other special operations forces in shallow water environment. The Cyclone class Patrol Coastal (PC) are particularly suited for the maritime homeland security mission and have been employed in the past jointly with the U.S. Coast Guard to help protect United States' and their allies' coastline, ports and waterways from terrorist attack; in addition, multiple ships have been forward deployed to the Gulf Region in support of the war on terrorism and piracy in maritime security operations. USS Cyclone was the lead ship of the Navy's Cyclone class of patrol coastal boats. The ship was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on February 28, 2000, and was given to the US Coast Guard the next day. There, the Cyclone was re-commissioned as USCGC Cyclone (WPC-1). Serving in this role for another four years, the ship was finally transferred to the Republic of the Philippines on March 8, 2004, where the Cyclone entered naval service as BRP Mariano Alvarez (PS-38). The Navy and Coast Guard signed an agreement in August 2004 that allowed four ships (Tempest, Shamal, Tornado and Zephyr) to be under the operational command of the Coast Guard (USCG) beginning in October 2004. The ships were under USCG in a variety of roles including SAR missions, inspection, patrol and interception (mainly alien migrant and drug interdiction). All the ships that were loaned to USCG were returned to the Navy in 2008 and 2011 and placed back in commission.



INFOGRAPHICS #1: Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy

Illustrious (left) sits alongside Queen Elizabeth at Rosyth in 2014,
showing the difference in size between the Invincible class and the
ships that will replace them - the comparison is shocking!

The Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers will be the biggest and most powerful warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy. The first ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to enter service in 2020. Some key facts about the class by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance. The ships will be 65,000 tonnes at full displacement - over three times the size of the Invincible Class aircraft carriers. The length is 280m - 90m longer than the Invisible class aircraft carriers while the width is 70m - twice the Invisible's width. Each ship has two propellers which together will output some 80MW of power - enough to run 1,000 family cars or 50 high speed trains. The distribution network on board will manage enough energy to power 300,000 kettles or 5,500 family homes. Each ship's two propellers will weigh 33 tonnes each - nearly two and half times as heavy as a double decker bus and one and half times as high. Each of the two huge aircraft lifts can move two Joint Strike Fighters from the hangar to the flight deck in 60 seconds. They're so powerful that together they could lift the entire ship's crew. Each of the QE Class aircraft carriers can take up to 40 aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing. There will be a 110MW power station on board each ship - that's enough to provide all of Portsea Island with power. The anchors will be 3.1m high, each weighing 13 tonnes - almost as much as a double decker bus. The ships on-board water treatment plant will produce over 500 tonnes of fresh water daily.

Bergamini class (FREMM) frigates of the Italian Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Italian Navy Bergamini class FREMM variants in formation

Bergamini class is the Italian variant of the FRigate European Multi-Mission (FREMM) class, a class of frigates designed by the French DCNS and the Italian Ficantieri in a joint program to replace the existing destroyers and frigates within the French and Italian navies. As we mentioned in the article about the French variant, the Aquitaine class, the frigates between the two navies share some general characteristics, weapons and systems but also have several differences in the equipment related to propulsion system, electronic equipment and weapons following the different requirements of both navies. The Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana) is building two variants/versions of Bergamini class frigates, one for ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) role and one for General Purpose (GP) role; in this article both variants will be described. Italian Navy aims to replace the eight (8) frigates of Maestrale class and the four (4) frigates of the Lupo class with ten (10) Bergamini class which are devided in three variants including the AAW for the last pair of ships. Bergamini class is a class of stealth frigates with advanced Anti-Aircraft Warfare (AAW) capabilities featuring a common sensor and weapons package based on MBDA’s SAAM-ESD (Extended Self-Defence) area defence system, including Selex ES MFRA EMPAR-derived C-band multifunction radar with active phased array antenna and Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles in A50silos. EMPAR MFRA is an evolved version of the EMPAR radar (embarked on Orizzonte class destroyers and the Cavour aircraft carrier). In addition to that, each variant is specialized in a specific role, GP or ASW, with increased equipment to perform this particular role.

FLEETS #1: The United States Navy today

The United States Navy in 2018 (updated), ships and submarines in service and under construction. A poster created by Raytheon in PDF format here!

U.S. Navy in 2018. High resolution image here.

Kilic I/II class fast attack craft of the Turkish Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Meltem, boat of Kilic II class. Photo: Turkish Navy

The Kilic (Kılıç) class is the latest class of fast attack craft in service of the Turkish Navy. The class comprises a total of 9 ships. The first batch of three boats are designated Kılıc I (or else Kilic class) and the second batch of six boats are designated Kılıc II (or else Tufan class). The boats are designed by Lurssen; the first batch of ships entered in service the period 1998-2000 while the second batch commissioned the period 2005-2010. The main differences between the two classes are the electronic equipment (specifically the EO fire control tracking system) and the cupola of the main gun. The first two boats were built in Germany and the rest in Turkey (Golcuk shipyards). The full displacement of these boats with the stealth characteristics is 552tons, the length is 62m, the speed is about 40knots and the range is 3,300n.m. with a cruise speed of 16knots. On the bow deck it is an OTO Melara 76mm/62cal gun; it is not clear though if it belongs to the latest Super Rapido version or the older Compatto. The guns onboard the boats of Kilic II class are mounted in a stealth cupola to reduce radar cross-section. The gun is capable to intercept air and surface targets at a distance of 16 km unleashing 85rnds/min (Compatto) or 120 rnds/min (Super Rapido), weighting greater than 6 kg each.

Laskos class and Kavaloudis class fast attack craft of the Hellenic Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Boat of Kavaloudis class.
Photo: former admiral A. Panagopoulos

Boat of Laskos class.
Photo: Hellenic Navy

In a previous article we described the most modern class of fast attack missile craft (FACM) of Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό), the Roussen class. However, the backbone of the fast attack craft fleet consists of two older classes, the Laskos and Kavaloudis class. Laskos class is known as type Combattante IIIA while Kavaloudis class as type Combattante IIIB. Hellenic Navy, after the purchase and entry into service of the Konidis class FACMs (type Combattante II) in 1972 (P-14 Anninos, P-15 Arliotis, P-16 Konidis and P-17 Batsis, all withdrawn the period 2002 - 2004), decided to buy more boats of the type but larger and with heavier armament. It is worth of mention that the boats of Konidis class were the first missile boats to enter service in the Hellenic Navy and the first FACS worldwide that carried the Exocet missiles, one of the most modern anti-shipping missiles of that time. Thus, in September 1974, HN ordered again from CMN and their shipyard in Cherbourg in France, four vessels of the type Combattante IIIA, an admittedly heavy armed design for its time. The vessels were delivered in the period 1977-1978. Laskos class boats are of full displacement 429 tons (almost double displacement of the previous class), length of 56.6 meters, a maximum speed approaching 36 knots with economic speed of 25 knots and a range of 2,500 nautical miles and a complement of 42 men.

Horizon class destroyers of the French and Italian Navy

Written by D-Mitch

The four vessels in the Horizon class in formation

The Horizon/Orrizonte class destroyers is a class of four hich-tech stealth Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) ships which were commissioned the period 2008-2009 in French Navy (Marine Nationale) and Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana).  Two ships were built for each navy, under a multi-national collaboration between the two countries, the Horizon SAS. Horizon SAS was a temporary consortium of companies between Italy and France (50% Italy - 50% France) provided by Orrizonte Sistemi Navali (joint venture between Fincantieri and Finmeccanica) and Armaris (joint venture between DCN and Thales). The project originally included also the United Kingdom  however due to differing requirements from the Royal Navy for a heavier ship that can provide air defence to a fleet that operates in hostile waters, the United Kingdom proceeded alone to develop the Type 45 destroyer instead. The main differences in the requirements were in the Vertical Launching System (VLS) and the scanned array radar. Though four units were planned for each navy, only two were built for each one. The French vessels, Forbin and Chevalier Paul, replaced the two AAW vessels of Suffren class while the Italian vessels of the Andrea Doria class, Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio, replaced the two AAW vessels of Audace class. The armament and equipment are almost identical between the vessels in service with France and Italy. The class carries a variety of weapons and electronic equipment and it is capable for any kind of mission. Great emphasis was given on the stealth performance and thus tilted superstructures, composite materials and special coatings contribute to a very small radar signature.