Lupo-class frigate explained

The Lupo class is a class of frigates built by Cantieri Navali Riuniti (CNR) for the Italian Navy. Designed as multipurpose warships with an emphasis on anti-surface warfare (ASuW), they have enjoyed some success in the export market, being acquired by the navies of Peru and Venezuela. A small run of a slightly updated version is known as the Soldati class.

Design

In the early 1970s, the Italian Navy faced an increased Soviet naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea which constituted a threat to its sea lines of communication as well as to its extensive coastline. To parry this menace, Italy started a naval expansion program which included frigates focused on ASuW (Lupo class) and on ASW .

For the first part of the requirement, CNR presented a design for a 2,500-ton frigate with a high speed and a heavy weapons load. The ship employed a CODOG propulsion plant to achieve 35 knots, making it one of the fastest warships at the time. Armament included 8 SSMs, 8 SAMs, several gun systems, 2 triple torpedo tubes and an ASW helicopter, which was equivalent to that carried by larger warships. Lupo-class frigates have a crew of around 200.

Italian Navy

The Italian Navy commissioned four Lupo-class frigates between 1977 and 1980. These ships were deployed to the Persian Gulf first as escorts for tankers during the last stages of the Iran–Iraq War (1987–1988) and then as part of the Coalition forces during the 1990 - 1991 Gulf War. After these operations, the whole class underwent modernization which included fitting an SPS-702 CORA surface search radar and SATCOM equipment. After two decades in service, the four Italian Lupo-class frigates were decommissioned and sold to Peru in the early 2000s.

In 1996 four new Lupo-class frigates which had been built for Iraq in 1985–87, were incorporated into the Italian Navy as the Artigliere class. These ships feature a telescopic hangar; they were refitted as patrol ships and changes made for Italian service included the removal of all ASW equipment. The four ships are ("artilleryman" - pennant F 582), ("airman" - F 583), ("sharpshooter" - F 584) and ("grenadier" - F 585), and are used in fleet escort or long-range patrolling duties.

Ships

Lupo class
Pennant
number
ShipBuilderHull
number
Laid downLaunchedCommissionedMottoFate
F 564Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Riva Trigoso30011 October 197429 July 197612 September 1977Fulmineo sulla predaTransferred to Peru, renamed Palacios
F 5653014 February 197622 June 197718 November 1978Non cohibetur sagittaTransferred to Peru, renamed Quiñones
F 56630228 February 197712 July 19781 March 1980Vincerà chi vorrà vincereTransferred to Peru, renamed Coronel Bolognesi
F 567Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Muggiano3031 August 19771 March 19791 March 1980 Fortitude FortiorTransferred to Peru, renamed Aguirre

Soldati-class patrol frigate

Iraq ordered four Lupo-class frigates from CNR in 1980 as part of a naval expansion program just before the Iran–Iraq War.[1] These ships, which feature a telescopic hangar were completed between 1985 and 1987. Due to restrictions on arm sales to Iraq because of the Iran-Iraq War placed by the Italian prime minister Bettino Craxi, the ships remained interned in Italy until the end of that war in 1988. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein then tried to renegotiate the price of these ships (and the other ships purchased from Italy), claiming he should receive a discount due to the delay in delivery of the ships.[1] Negotiations and court proceedings were still ongoing when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and a new arms embargo against Iraq was placed by the United Nations, again blocking the sale.[1] In 1993 all of them were seized and, after being refitted as patrol ships, incorporated to the Italian Navy as the Soldati class in 1996. Changes made for Italian service included the removal of all ASW equipment. The four ships are (pennant F 582), (F 583), (F 584) and (F 585), and are used in fleet escort or long range patrolling duties. The Philippines considered acquiring the Soldati class in 2012.[2]

F582 and F584 wete scrapped in Aliaga in 2024.[3]

Soldati class
Pennant
number
ShipBuilderHull
number
Laid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedMotto
F 582 (ex-Hittin)Fincantieri, Ancona90331 March 198227 July 198328 October 199413 December 2013Primi Velitum
F 583 (ex-Thi Qar)9043 September 198219 December 19844 January 19952 October 2019Virtute Siderum Tenus
F 584 (ex-Al Yarmouk)Fincantieri, Riva Trigoso90512 March 198418 April 19858 November 199517 April 2018Pro Patria
F 585 (ex-Al Qadisiya)Fincantieri, Ancona9061 December 19831 June 198520 March 199630 September 2015A me le guardie

Peruvian Navy

Peru became involved early in the Lupo-class frigate program, ordering four ships in 1973. The Peruvian ships were built to a modified design which included different radars, Aspide instead of Sea Sparrow SAMs, and a fixed instead of a telescopic hangar. The first two were built by CNR at its shipyard in Riva Trigoso, Genoa, and commissioned in 1979.

Construction work for the second pair was carried out under license by SIMA (Servicio Industrial de la Marina, Navy Industrial Service) at Callao, with the ships commissioning in 1984 and 1987. Of the Peruvian Lupos, (FM-51), (FM-54), (FM-52) and (now) (FM-53) had their flight decks extended to allow ASH-3D Sea King helicopters to land and refuel, even though they cannot be housed in the ship's hangar.

In November 2004 other ex-Italian Lupo-class vessels were incorporated into the Peruvian Navy: (FM-55) (ex-Orsa) and (FM-56) (ex-Lupo).Finally in August 2006 the last Italian Lupo ships arrived in Callao: (FM-58) and (FM-57). In 2013, Carvajal was transferred to the Peruvian Coast Guard and renamed Guardiamarina San Martin.[4]

Ships

Carvajal class
Pennant numberShipBuilderHull
number
Laid downLaunchedCommissionedFate
FM-51 Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Riva Trigoso3048 August 197417 November 19765 February 1979Transferred to Peruvian Coast Guard in 2013, renamed Guardiamarina San Martin
FM-523056 October 19767 February 197825 June 1979Active in service
FM-53 (later Almirante Grau)SIMA, CallaoOctober 19788 October 198225 July 1984Active in service. Renamed 2017
FM-5419798 October 198410 October 1987Active in service
ex-Italian Lupo class
FM-55AguirreCantieri Navali Riuniti, Muggiano3031 August 19771 March 1979ex-Orsa
FM-56PalaciosCantieri Navali Riuniti, Riva Trigoso30011 October 197429 July 1976ex-Lupo
FM-57Coronel Bolognesi30228 February 197712 July 1978ex-Perseo
FM-58Quiñones3014 February 197622 June 1977ex-Sagittario

Venezuelan Navy

Venezuela ordered six Lupo-class frigates from CNR in 1975 as a replacement for older warships. These units were commissioned between 1980 and 1982. In general terms, their appearance and equipment is similar to those built for Peru, except for some differences in electronics and missiles. The first two ships, (F-21) and (F-22) were upgraded by Ingalls Shipbuilding over a four years period (1998–2002). Modifications of these two ships included:

The other ships in Venezuelan service were expected to undergo an austere version of this upgrade, but three ships were eventually taken out of service. As of December 2022, however, the Mariscal Sucre has been observed to be partially sunk alongside the partially scrapped General Soublette.[5]

Ships

Mariscal Sucre class
Pennant
number
ShipBuilderHull
number
Laid downLaunchedCommissionedFate
F-21Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Riva Trigoso85119 November 197628 September 197810 May 1980Out of service; partially sunk
F-22853June 197722 February 19797 March 1981In service
F-2385223 January 197823 March 19798 August 1981Out of service
F-2485526 August 19784 January 19805 December 1981Out of service; partially scrapped
F-258547 November 197813 January 19803 April 1982Out of service; reportedly sold for scrap[6]
F-26 (ex-José Felix Ribas)85621 August 19794 October 198030 July 1982Out of service

See also

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: This Europe: Lying idle off Italy's coast, the pride and joy of the Iraqi navy . The Independent. London. 4 January 2003 . Alex . Duval Smith.
  2. News: 8 February 2012 . DND signs 5-year agreement with Italy . dead. https://archive.today/20120906174816/http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=775432&publicationSubCategoryId=63. 6 September 2012 . 5 April 2012 . Philippine Star . Alexis . Romero.
  3. http://web.archive.org/web/20240521192225/https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Spielwiese&oldid=245183384
  4. Web site: Marina de Guerra del Perú realizará ceremonia de Zarpe de Expedición Científica a la Antártida – ANTAR XXII, Colocación de la Quilla del Remolcador Auxiliar de Salvamento y Patrullera Marítima, Transferencia del BAP Carvajal a DICAPI . es . Peruvian Navy . 23 December 2013 . 17 February 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131227124018/https://www.marina.mil.pe/notas-de-prensa/125 . 27 December 2013 .
  5. Web site: Frigate Soublette (F-24) (left), dismantled and scrapped, and Mariscal Sucre (F-21) (right) partially sunk at the Puerto Cabello naval base of the Venezuelan Navy. . 2022-12-09. 2023-11-14.
  6. Retired Venezuelan Lupo Class frigate General Salom reported to have been sold for scrap. . seawaves_mag . Seawaves Magazine . 1613333017048776704 . 11 January 2023 . 12 February 2024.