Gaeta-class minehunter

Crotone – ninth ship of the Lerici class
Class overview
Name:	Lerici
Builders:	Intermarine SpA
Operators:	Italian Navy  Royal Malaysian Navy  Nigerian Navy  United States Navy  Royal Australian Navy  Royal Thai Navy  Finnish Navy
Subclasses:	Subclasses: Lerici class Second Series Lerici class or Gaeta class Export derivatives: Mahamiru class (Malaysia and Nigeria) Osprey class (USA) Huon class (Australia) Lat Ya class (Thailand) Katanpää class (Finland)
Built:	1985–1997 (Italian-operated vessels)
Building:	1 (Algeria)
Planned:	6 (Taiwan)
Completed:	12 (Italy) 3 (Finland) 4 (Malaysia) 2 (Nigeria) 12 (USA) 6 (Australia) 2 (Thailand)
Cancelled:	6 (Thailand)
General characteristics for Lerici class
Type:	Minehunter
Displacement:	- 635 t (625 long tons) full load - 503 t (495 long tons) light
Length:	49.98 m (164.0 ft)
Beam:	9.56 m (31.4 ft)
Draught:	2.9 m (9.5 ft)
Propulsion:	- (Italian Lerici): 1 x diesel engine diesel GMT BL-230.8M, 1,089 kW (1,460 bhp), driving a single variable pitch propellor - (Italian Lerici): 3 x active rudders by 3 diesel engines Isotta Fraschini ID-36-SS 6V
Speed:	- 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) maximum speed - 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) minehunting speed
Range:	1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried:	2 remote-operated mine-clearance vehicles
Complement:	47: 4 officers, 7 clearance divers, 36 ratings
Sensors and processing systems:	VDS FIAR SQQ-14 (IT) sonar
Armament:	1 x Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
General characteristics for Gaeta class
Displacement:	697 tons full load
Length:	52.5 m (172 ft)
Armament:	2 x Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Notes:	All other characteristics as above Taken from:

The Lerici class is a class of minehunters constructed by Intermarine SpA and owned and operated by the Italian Navy. The class incorporates two subclasses: the first four ships are referred to specifically as the first series of the Lerici class, while eight more ships produced to a slightly modified design are known as "second series Lericis" or as the Gaeta class.

The class design has also been used as the basis for ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy (as the Mahamiru class), the Nigerian Navy, the United States Navy (as the Osprey class), the Royal Australian Navy (as the Huon class), and the Royal Thai Navy (as the Lat Ya class). Three updated vessels are under construction for the Finnish Navy (the Katanpää class). The Republic of Korea Navy operates an unlicensed derivative, known as the Ganggyeong class.

Twelve ships were constructed by Intermarine SpA between 1985 and 1996. The first four, referred to as the Lerici subclass) were ordered on 7 January 1978. Six more ships of an improved design (known as the Gaeta subclass) were ordered on 30 April 1988, with two more Gaetas ordered in 1991.

The four Lerici class ships were launched from September 1982 through to April 1985, and were all commissioned into the Italian Navy during 1985.

Lerici class ships have a displacement of 620 tons full load, 50 metres (160 ft) long, 9.9 metres (32 ft) wide, and a draught of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft). The ships have a maximum speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), provided by a single diesel engine (GMT BL.230-8M for 1,600 HP) connected to an electric engine (1,985 HP) with a variable-pitch propellor. This speed is reduced to 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) for mine-warfare operations; three active rudders (small propellors mounted in a unit which can rotate through 360 degrees, powered by three diesel-engines generators Isotta Fraschini ID-36-SS6V) are used to keep the minehunters on station. The ships have a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at operational speed.