Italian aircraft carrier Cavour (C 550)

Cavour
History
Italy
Name:	Cavour
Namesake:	Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour
Ordered:	22 November 2000
Builder:	Fincantieri
Laid down:	17 July 2001
Launched:	20 July 2004
Commissioned:	27 March 2008
In service:	10 June 2009
Homeport:	La Spezia
Identification:	Pennant number: 550
Motto:	In arduis servare mentem
Status:	Active
Notes:	Cost: € (EUR) 1.390 millions to 2010 year
General characteristics
Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	30.100 t (29.625 long tons) full load; 21.160 t (20.826 long tons) light
Length:	- 244 m (800 ft 6 in) LOA - 215.6 m (707 ft) LPP
Beam:	- 29.1 m (95 ft 6 in) - 39 m (127 ft 11 in) moulded breadth
Draught:	8.7 m (28 ft 7 in)
Propulsion:	- COGAG scheme - 2 x shafts - 4 × General Electric/Avio LM2500+ gas turbines providing 88.000 kW (118.010 bhp) - 6 × diesel generators Wärtsila CW 12V200 13.200 kW (17.701 bhp)
Speed:	+29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) (Max sustained speed, 85% MCR)
Range:	7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement:	- 1.202 (90 more on option) of which: - 5 Flag Officers and VIP’s - 486 crew - 211 embarked air wing - 140 C4 staff - 360 troops (90 more on option)
Sensors and processing systems:	- Selex RAN-40L 3D L-band long-range radar - Selex ES EMPAR (SPY-790) multifunction radar - Selex ES RAN-30X/I RASS (SPS-791) surface radar - 2 × SELEX ES RTN-25X Orion, fire direction radars - PAR (Precision Approach Radar) Selex ES MM/SPN-720 - PALS (Precision Approach and Landing System) Telephonics AN/SPN-41A - 2 x GEM Elettronica MM/SPN-753(v)10 navigation radars - Selex ES SIR-R/S IFF system - TACAN SRN-15 A - WASS SNA-2000 Mine Avoidance Sonar (Leonardo Thesan) - 2 x Selex ES IRST SASS (Silent Acquisition and Surveillance System) - GEM Elettronica IRST EOSS-100 - underwater telephone
Electronic warfare & decoys:	- Elettronica Spa NETTUNO-4100 ECM System - EW System (RESM/CESM, RECM)
Armament:	4 × 8-cell A-43 Sylver launchers carrying the MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missile 2 × Oto Melara 76/62 mm Strales guns 3 × Oerlikon Contraves 25/80 mm Anti-aircraft guns 2 x ODLS-H/ODLS OTO Melara decoy launching systems
Aircraft carried:	- flight deck: 232.60 m (763 ft 1 in) x 34.5 m (113 ft 2 in) - 20–30 hangar capacity: - 134.2 m (440 ft 3 in) x 21.0 m (68 ft 11 in) - 8 × AV-8B Harrier IIs or - 12 × AgustaWestland AW101
Notes:	4 LCVP

Cavour (Italian: portaerei Cavour) is an Italian aircraft carrier launched in 2004. She is the flagship of the Italian Navy.

The ship is designed to combine fixed wing V/STOL and helicopter air operations, command and control operations and the transport of military or civil personnel and heavy vehicles. The 134 m (440 ft), 2,800 m² (30,000 sq ft) hangar space can double as a vehicle hold capable of holding up to 24 main battle tanks (typically Ariete) or many more lighter vehicles (50 Dardo IFV, 100+ Iveco LMV), and is fitted aft with access ramps rated to 70 tons, as well as two elevators rated up to 30 tons for aircraft. Cavour can also operate as landing platform helicopter, accommodating heavy transport helicopters (AgustaWestland UH-101A ASH) and 325 marines (91 more, on option).

The Cavour has a displacement of 27,900 tons but can reach more than 30,000 tons at full military capacity, after improvements made in 2008.

It complements the Italian navy's other aircraft carrier, the Giuseppe Garibaldi.

The Italian Navy will replace its 16 Harriers with 15 (originally 22) Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II within the next few years. The F-35B schedule is uncertain, but it is planned to modify Cavour to support the F-35B by 2016.Cavour will have room for ten F-35Bs in the hangar, and six more parked on deck.

Cavour was laid down by Fincantieri in June 2001, and was launched from the Riva Trigoso shipyard in Sestri Levante, on 20 July 2004. Sea trials began in December 2006, and she was officially commissioned 27 March 2008. Full operational capability (FOC) was reached 10 June 2009.

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