Cavour class CV
(Italy)
|
Name |
No. |
Launch |
Comm. |
Decom. |
Fate |
|
Cavour |
R-550 |
20 July 2004 / 15 Dec 2004 |
27 Mar 2008 |
- |
In Service |
Notes: In 1985, the Italian navy began planning for a follow-on to it’s first aircraft carrier, Giuseppe Garibaldi. Beyond a desire for more ships, the reasoning was to avoid “key capability loss” which results when a navy possessing only a single ship of a capital type has that ship enter refit, meaning an entire strategy is missing during the refit period. The Cavour project was dogged first by funding shortfalls and then overall budget cuts following the end of the cold war. The design morphed several times; first from an enlarged Garibaldi, then to a helicopter-only LPH, then to a possible off-the-shelf purchase of an American Wasp class unit, finally back to a true aircraft carrier design.
Construction
Cavour was built in a unique way; the aft 2/3rds of the hull were built at Riva Trigoso and launched first; then towed to Muggiano where the forward 1/3rd of the ship was launched separately. The two parts were then drydocked and mated together. The completed hull was re-launched in 2005. The ship underwent sea trials throughout 2007. In 2008, the air wing was embarked for familiarization. The ship will begin active operational cruises in May 2009. A special pier is being built at Taranto expressly for Cavour.
(above: launch of the aft portion of Cavour)
Design
Cavour has two elevators, a folding design on the starboard aft beam and one forward of the island. There are also 60-ton side elevators for loading vehicles pierside and an aft door for ro-ro loading. Two more 7-ton mini-elevators can lift flight deck gear and ordnance topside. The layout is efficient, for example the area next to the 12deg ski-jump (often wasted on similar designs) is large enough to operate a helicopter while planes are taking off. The ship is equipped as a flagship with an all-digital “virtual flag bridge” protected inside the hull. Cavour is divided into seven water- and air-tight areas, each equipped with full damage control facilities and a ship-wide total of 190 closed-circuit TV cameras to remotely direct damage control. The entire vessel is NBC-sealed. A self-degaussing system is installed to protect against magnetic mines.
The crew accommodations are the best ever in the Italian navy, with single staterooms for every officer, pilot, and senior enlistedman, 4-man rooms for enlisted petty officers, and comfortable bunking for junior enlisted men. There is a hospital with three operating rooms, two galleys, and a gym. Perhaps the nicest touch is an onboard tavern. Cavour conforms to the most stringent anti-pollution guidelines, even though naval ships are exempted from such.
When operating in the amphibious assault mode, the hangar deck is strong enough to accommodate any Italian army vehicle including main battle tanks.
Armament
The VLS was installed at construction. The 76mm guns will be second-hand; as of May 2008 the aft one (from the old destroyer Audace) was installed but the forward position still awaiting a donor.
Cost
At $223,500,000; Cavour is the most expensive Italian ship ever. The cost was spread out over the 2001-2009 naval budgets, with the biggest chunks in the 2004 and 2007 budgets.
Future-proofing
There is extra displacement in the design for future add-ons, and the ship generates 230% of the electricity needed for it’s current (2008) loads. The flight deck is strong enough to handle V-22 Ospreys although Italy so far has no interest in tiltrotors.
Displacement: 22,290t standard, 27,100t full + 2,900t “future-proofing” spare displacement Dimensions: 800’6”x128’x28’5” (flight deck: 764’x113’ / hangar: 440’2”x68’9”x23’ clearance) Machinery: COGAG: 4 (2+2) General Electric LM-2500 gas turbines, 2 Fiat reduction gearboxes, 2 shafts 1/5-bladed CP props + 1 bow and 1 aft electric thrusters Max speed: 30kts (24kts on 2 turbines & 1 shaft) Range: 7000NM @ 18kts (average 18 days between UNREPs) Complement: 794 (451 crew, 203 air wing, 140 flag staff) +416 marines
AIR WING
|
Standard |
Amphibious |
Disaster Relief |
Overload |
|
8 AV-8B Harrier II
(to be F-35 Lightning II)
9 EH-101 ASW
2 EH-101 AEW
1 EH-101 utility |
18 tanks
11 APCs
4 smaller vehicles
3 LCVP and 3 RHIB (serviced by flight deck crane)
6 EH-101 utility (limited to deck stowage) |
12 EH-101 utility
(hangar partially converted to emergency berthing)
3 LCVP and 3 RHIB
10 small army vehicles |
14 AV-8B Harrier II
7 EH-101 ASW
2 EH-101 AEW
1 EH-101 utility |
(Note: also compatible with ASH-3D Sea King, NH-90, AB-412ASW, UH-1N Iroquois; UAV trials planned)
WEAPONS-Missiles
x1 Sylver A43 VLS for 32 Aster-15 (12NM AA)
WEAPONS-Guns
x2 OTO-Melara 76mm Rapid 8NM surface/5NM AA
x3 OTO-Melara KBA 25mm 1NM AA/surface
SENSORS-Radar
SPY-790 EMPAR (G) 3D multifunction: 97NM air search (large/high), 54NM air search typical, 23NM air search (small/low), 7NM vs. sea-skimming missiles.
RAN-40L (D) 42NM air search / 20NM surface search (range, bearing)
SPN-753 (I) 48NM surface/low-alt air search (range, bearing)
SPN-720 (N) CCA
(provision for two RTN-25X fire control radars, not yet fitted)
SENSORS-EW
Elettronica SpA integrated ESM/ECM/ELINT/SIGINT suite
Vampir FLIR
AN/SPN-41A aircraft homing beacon
SCLAR-H countermeasures launchers
Selex SIR-R IFF
SENSORS-Sonar
SNA-200 hull 1NM HF active (range, bearing, depth, class)
SLAT towed acoustic decoy
Elettronica fathometer
MISC.
Selex SATCOM suite (SHF/UHF secure), LINK-11/16/22, secure and unsecure HF/VHF/UHF, JTIDS (interoperable with USN), INMARSAT SATNAV, GPS
