Vittorio Veneto helicopter cruiser of Italian Navy

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Vittorio Veneto, the last cruiser of Italian Navy

Some years after the commissioning of the two helicopter cruisers of Andrea Doria class, the Italian Navy ordered an enlarged version of a helicopter cruiser. The new 180-meter cruiser received the name Vittorio Veneto(C550) and she entered in service with the Italian Navy in 1969.

A second ship of the same design, the Italia, was cancelled. Instead, Italy proceeded later in the construction of Giuseppe Garibaldi light aircraft carrier, an aircraft carrying cruiser as it was classified in the early years of its service. Vittorio Venetohad a similar layout as the smaller Andrea Doria class helicopter cruisers, but with two elevators in the large (40x18.5-metre) flight deck and the hangar positioned below the flight deck.

The ship was built from the keel up as guided missile cruiser forward and helicopter carrier aft. Unlike the Andrea Doria class ships,Vittorio Venetohad two combination mast/funnels, rather than separate funnels like the ships of the Andrea Doria class. Vittorio Venetowas a fast ship especially for her size as she was propelled by two steam turbines providing 73,000 shp, for a maximum speed of 32 knots.

Similarly to Andrea Doria class vessels, she had a sets of stabilizing fins to improve stability for helicopter operations. The new cruiser could carry up to nine (9) AB 204 (later AB212) or six (6) ASH-3H Sea King helicopters in comparison with four (4) and two (2) respectively for the Andrea Doria class ships. All nine AB212 could be accommodated in the spacious hangar (27.4m x 15.2m) but not the Sea King helicopters which had to remain on the deck.


Sea King helicopter aboard C550Vittorio Veneto(after the modernization)



Vittorio Venetoafter the modernization with all of her Otomat SSM and two
AB212 helicopters aboard. Photo: Chris Howell

With her AN/SQS-23 sonar, the two triple torpedo launchers, the ASROC missiles that could be fired also from the Terrier launcher and the most important with the nine ASW helicopters that the ship was carrying, this cruiser was definitely one of the best ships in the ASW operations.

Click to enlarge and save the image to view the details: Vittorio Veneto helicopter cruiser of Italian Navy.


Vittorio Venetoin Sevastopol (2003)
Photo: Vitaliy Kostrichenko


Vittorio Venetoin Sevastopol (2003)
Photo: Vitaliy Kostrichenko

In the early '80s,Vittorio Venetoreceived an extensive modernization on her electronic equipment and weapon systems. Three twin 40mm gun turrets were added,one forwardandtwo aft,placedon either sideof the hangarto strengthen ship'santi-aircraft/missileshort-rangedefensive ability (CIWS),together with their fire control radars.The three twin gun turretsinaddition tothe eight76mmgunsbroughtto atotal of 14guns!In addition to that, four single launchers where installed amidships for the Teseo anti-ship missiles. The AB212 could provide mid-course guidance for the Otomat anti-ship missiles.

The Mk10 launcher was upgraded, the Terrier missiles were removed and replaced by 40 SM-1ER (Extended Range) SAM and 20 anti-submarine rockets (ASROC) and at the same time the missile fire control radars were also upgraded. The ship, after these several upgrades could perform any kind of role given with great success.


Vittorio Venetoprior the modernization


Vittorio Venetoprior the modernization

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Front view of the vessel


Vittorio Venetofully armed


View from the flightdeck


Vittoio Veneto, flagship of Italian Navy

Vittorio Venetowas the flagship of Italian Navy from 1969 until 1985, the year when the light aircraft carrierGiuseppe Garibaldithat was mentioned earlier, was commissioned. After 1985,Vittorio Venetowas mainly if not exclusively operated as a training ship for annual 2-3 month long deployments to different parts of the world. She was for many years one of the most powerful surface combatants in the world. The cruiser remained in active service for more than 30 years when finally she was placed in a reduced availability status in the year 2003.Vittorio Veneto, the last cruiser of Italian Navy (and one of my favorite warships of all time) was officially disarmed in 2006.


Vittorio Veneto(C550) helicopter cruiser with her unique layout

 

[Shabi1]

Awesome concept....

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Your Comments

@SpArK @Windjammer @AUSTERLITZ @Zarvan @C130
@Abingdonboy @sancho @jaunty @Srinivas @gslv mk3
@Dash @MohitV @Skull and Bones @acetophenol @IND151 @HariPrasad @he-man
@Prechko @vostok @GURU DUTT @janon @ExtraOdinary @RoYaL~GuJJaR @Stephen Cohen @Penguin

 

[GURU DUTT]

its a good concept no dought but carrying a couple of armed helicopters is no big deal and much smaller ships these days comes loaded with all the bells and whistels & a couple of armed helis so why waste so much resources for that price we can have a small aircraft carrier today with 18 fighter jets and a couple of armed helis

what IN needs is a dozen 5k tonne class frigates which very fast but fully equipped to deal with every eventuality like anti sub warfare , air defnce , anty ship warfare and self protection arsenell and of course a couple of armed helis and then we can make small groups of 3 such ships which will be a very formidable force and we can despatch one such group to paterol indian ocean ,bay of bengal , arabian sea and a remote one at A&N islands

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Your Comments

Not a viable concept as a Helicopter Carrier in the contemporary Naval context.
The "through-deck" design which mimics the Fixed Wing Carriers leads to faster Launch and Recovery cycles of Rotorcraft and other operational efficiencies; which is why it has superseded this kind of design.

 

[Shankranti]

What is so great about this ? INS Delhi, INS Shivalik, INS Kolkata and INS Vishakapantnam class can carry 3 Helicopters if required and 2 Helicopters as a standard load.

 

[Beast]

Out design warship and outdated. Belongs to the 70s and early 80s.

 

[Penguin]

Andrea Doria class cruisers

• Andrea Doria , commissioned 23 February 1964, stricken 1991
• Caio Duillio, commissioned 30 November 1964, stricken 1991

Hull was based on the 130m, 3,900 ton Impavido class destroyers

Displacement: 5,000 tons (standard); 6,500 tons (loaded)
Length: 149.3 m (490 ft)
Beam: 17.3 m (57 ft)
Draught: 5.0 m (16.4 ft)
Speed: 31 kn
Range: 6,000 nmi
Armament:
1 × Mk 10 twin arm GMLS with 40 RIM-2 Terrier SAM (32 km, Mach 3)
(post 19080's modernization: Terrier replaced by 40 RIM-67A Standard SM1ER with 120–185 km range)
6 x Oto Melara 76mm/L62 MMI Allargato
2 × 324 mm triple torpedo tubes / lightweight ASW torpedoes
4 x AB-212 ASW helicopters , no Sea King (too large)
The flight deck measured 30 metres by 16 metres

Andrea Doria was modernised in 1976-78, exchanging the RIM-2 missiles for the SM-1ER surface-to-air missile
Caio Duilio received only a marginal modernisation in 1979-80 and instead was modified to a training ship.

Vittorio Veneto class cruiser

Commissioned: 12 July 1969 , stricken: 2003

Displacement: 7,500 tons standard, 8,850 tons full loaded
Length: 179.6 m
Beam: 19.4 m
Draught: 6.0 m
Speed: 30 knots
Range: 5,000 miles at 16 knots
1 × Mk 10 twin arm GMLS with 40 RIM-2 Terrier SAM (32 km, Mach 3) and 20 ASROC missiles
8 x Oto Melara 76mm/L62 MMI Allargato
2 x 324 mm triple torpedo tubes / lightweight ASW torpedoes
9 x AB-212 ASW helicopters, or 6 Sea King

1980's modernization:
Terrier replaced by 40 RIM-67A Standard SM1ER (120–185 km range)
3 × Oto Melara Twin 40L70 Dardo added
4 × 181+km Otomat SSM added

(SOMEWHAT) SIMILAR SHIP:

Jeanne d'Arc cruiser (France)

Commissioned: 1964 , stricken: 2010

Displacement: 10,575 tons standard, 12,365 tons full load
Length: 182 m
Beam: 24 m
Draught: 7.5 m
Speed: 28 kn
Range: 6,800 nmi at 16 kn
Armament:
2 x 3 Exocet-38 anti-ship missiles (fitted 1974)
4 x single 100mm guns (two removed in 2000)
4 x 12.7mm machine guns
Aircraft carried: 8x WG 13 Lynx ASW helicopters or 4 Super Frelon (also carried Gazelle, Puma, Sea King)
Could carry roughly 10 light or heavy helicopters and simultaneously handle the takeoff and landing of 3 helicopters.

(SOMEWHAT) SIMILAR SHIP

Moskva-class helicopter carrier (Project 1123 Kondor)

• Moskva. Commissioned 25 December 1967, stricken 1991
• Leningrad Commissioned 2 June 1969, stricken 1991

Displacement: 14,950 tons standard, 17,500 tons full load
Length: 189 m
Beam: 23 m
Draught: 13 m
Speed: 31 kn
Range: 14,000 nm at 12 kn
Armament:
2 × twin SA-N-3 'Goblet' SAM launchers (30-55km depending on missile)
2 × twin 57mm/L76 AK-725 (ZIF-72) guns (7-9km)
1 × SUW-N-1 launcher for FRAS-1 anti submarine rocket-assisted DC (16 nm)
2 × RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers (4-6 km)
2 x 5 torpedo tubes for 553 mm torpedoes
Aircraft carried:
18 × Kamov KA-25 'Hormone' ASW helicopters or Mi-8 helicopters

 

[Penguin]

VERY SIMILAR SHIPS

Haruna-class destroyer DDH (Japan)

• Hiruna, commissioned 22 February 1973; stricken 18 March 2009
• Hiei, commissioned 27 November 1974; stricken 16 March 2011

Displacement: 5,029 t standard, 7,011 t full load
Length: 153.1 m
Beam: 17.5 m
Draft: 5.2 m
Speed: 31 kn
Armament:
1 x octuple Mk29 GMLS for Sea Sparrow SAM (19km, mach 4)
1 x octuple MK112 launcher for ASROC (19km)
2 × 5"/L54 Mk 42 guns (type 73) (24km)
2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS (3,6km)
2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes (Mk-46 lightweight ASW torpedoes 11km)
Aircraft carried:
3 × SH-3 Sea King or SH-60J(K) anti-submarine helicopter

VERY SIMILAR SHIPS

Shirane-class destroyer DDH (Japan)

• Shirane, commissioned 17 March 1980 ; stricken 25 March 2015
• Kurama, commissioned 27 March 1981 (active service)

Displacement: 5,283 t standard; 7,620 t full load
Length: 159 m
Beam: 17.5 m
Draft: 5.3 m
Speed: 31 kn
Armament:
1 x octuple Mk29 GWLS for Sea Sparrow (19km, mach 4)
1 x octuple MK112 launcher for ASROC (19 km)
2 × FMC 5"/L54 Mk 42 guns (type 73) (24km)
2 × 20 mm PHalanx CIWS (3,6km)
2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes (MK-46 lightweight ASW torpedoes 11km)
Aircraft carried:
3 × SH-3 Sea King or SH-60J(K) anti-submarine helicopters

Other (older) helicopter cruisers:

BAP Aquirre (former HNLMS De Zeven Provincien), an converted ex-Dutch De Ruyter class cruiser.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAP_Aguirre_(CH-84)

Tiger-class cruisers (modified Minotaur class light cruisers)
Tiger-class cruiser - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Penguin]

Air-capable Spruance variant

 

[D-Mitch]

@Major Shaitan Singh

Vittorio Veneto, the last cruiser of Italian Navy...

About V. Veneto cruiser - You understand that what you are doing is illegal. You cannot copy an entire article and most important, you HAVE to give the proper credits to the author. You do that intentionally all the time (you copied my articles about the Elli class, FREMM class and so on). Do not do that again!

 

[sahureka2]

Vittorio Veneto 550 decommissioned
Taranto Italia 7 March 2016

photo Marcello Risolo