PRINTTHE “CAIO DUILIO” LAUNCHED AT RIVA TRIGOSO
23 October 2007
Today at Fincantieri’s shipyard at Riva Trigoso (Genoa) there was the launch of the destroyer, the “Caio Duilio”, the second of two vessels ordered by the Italian Navy from Fincantieri within the “Orizzonte” programme, which involves cooperation between Italy and France for the construction of two vessels for the fleet of each national Navy.
The “Caio Duilio” and the first ship in the class, the “Andrea Doria”, which will be delivered to the Navy at the end of the year for completion of testing of the combat system with a view to the vessel entering full service by the end of 2008, will constitute the backbone of the open sea contingent of the Italian Navy.
The “Orizzonte” programme marks the first time, in Europe, that two Navies have succeeded in converging their operating requirements in order to achieve a suitable industrial response. The same partners have also drawn up the “Rinascimento” programme for the construction of 27 multi-mission frigates (Fremm) for the navies of the two nations - 17 for the French Navy and 10 for the Italian Navy.
This is the fourth vessel that the Italian Navy has named “Caio Duilio”, in memory of the Roman consul who distinguished himself in the first Punic war when his fleet won the battle of Milazzo in 260 BC.
Godmother to the ship was Mrs. Anna Piga Parisi. The ship was blessed by the military chaplain, Monsignore Vincenzo Pelvi. Present at the ceremony were the Minister for the Defence, the Rt. Hon. Arturo Parisi, the Undersecretaries for the Defence, the Rt. Hon. Giovanni Lorenzo Forcieri and the Rt. Hon. Marco Verzaschi, the Chief of Staff of the Defence, Admiral Giampaolo di Paola, and the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Paolo La Rosa. Fincantieri was represented by the company’s Chairman, Corrado Antonini.
The ship, which has been built to carry out international operations to safeguard the sea, will be involved in defending the national territory. Approximately 153 metres long with a beam of 20 metres, the vessel will have a displacement, when fully loaded, of 7,050 tonnes. Maximum speed will be 29 knots and the ship will be able to accommodate a crew of 230. The ship will be equipped with high tech detection and weapon systems, the fruit of important international cooperation, as, for example, the “Paams” programme for the mid-range anti-aircraft missile system and “Slat” for the anti-torpedo defence system.
The “Caio Duilio” and the first ship in the class, the “Andrea Doria”, which will be delivered to the Navy at the end of the year for completion of testing of the combat system with a view to the vessel entering full service by the end of 2008, will constitute the backbone of the open sea contingent of the Italian Navy.
The “Orizzonte” programme marks the first time, in Europe, that two Navies have succeeded in converging their operating requirements in order to achieve a suitable industrial response. The same partners have also drawn up the “Rinascimento” programme for the construction of 27 multi-mission frigates (Fremm) for the navies of the two nations - 17 for the French Navy and 10 for the Italian Navy.
This is the fourth vessel that the Italian Navy has named “Caio Duilio”, in memory of the Roman consul who distinguished himself in the first Punic war when his fleet won the battle of Milazzo in 260 BC.
Godmother to the ship was Mrs. Anna Piga Parisi. The ship was blessed by the military chaplain, Monsignore Vincenzo Pelvi. Present at the ceremony were the Minister for the Defence, the Rt. Hon. Arturo Parisi, the Undersecretaries for the Defence, the Rt. Hon. Giovanni Lorenzo Forcieri and the Rt. Hon. Marco Verzaschi, the Chief of Staff of the Defence, Admiral Giampaolo di Paola, and the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Paolo La Rosa. Fincantieri was represented by the company’s Chairman, Corrado Antonini.
The ship, which has been built to carry out international operations to safeguard the sea, will be involved in defending the national territory. Approximately 153 metres long with a beam of 20 metres, the vessel will have a displacement, when fully loaded, of 7,050 tonnes. Maximum speed will be 29 knots and the ship will be able to accommodate a crew of 230. The ship will be equipped with high tech detection and weapon systems, the fruit of important international cooperation, as, for example, the “Paams” programme for the mid-range anti-aircraft missile system and “Slat” for the anti-torpedo defence system.