Italian cruiser Vittorio Veneto

History
Italy
Name:	Vittorio Veneto
Namesake:	Vittorio Veneto
Builder:	Italcantieri
Laid down:	10 June 1965
Launched:	5 February 1967
Commissioned:	12 July 1969
Decommissioned:	1 November 2003 Stricken 29 June 2006
Homeport:	Taranto
Identification:	- Pennant number: 550 - hull number: 639 (790)
Motto:	Victoria nobis vita
Status:	awaiting disposal
General characteristics
Type:	Helicopter cruiser
Displacement:	7,500 tons standard 8,850 tons full loaded
Length:	179.6 m (589 ft)
Beam:	19.4 m (64 ft)
Draught:	6.0 m (19.7 ft)
Installed power:	4 Foster Wheeler boilers, 73,000 shp (54,000 kW)
Propulsion:	2 shaft geared turbines
Speed:	30.5 knots (56.5 km/h; 35.1 mph)
Range:	5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement:	557
Sensors and processing systems:	1 × SPS-52 early warning radar 1 × SPS-768 long range radar 1 × SPQ-2 surface radar 2 × SPG-55 missile fire control radar 4 × Orion 10X fire control radar 2 × Orion 20X fire control radar 1 × navigation radar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	2 × SCLAR decoy launcher 1 × ECM system 1 × TACAN
Armament:	As built: 1 × Mk 10 twin-arm launcher for 40 RIM-2 Terrier and 20 ASROC missiles 8 × Oto Melara 76/62mm MMI or 76/62 mm Compact gun 2 × 324 mm triple torpedo tubes Post 1980-1982 modernization: 1 × Mk 10 twin-arm launcher with 40 Standard SM-1ER and 20 RUR-5 "ASROC" missiles 8 × Oto Melara 76/62mm MMI or 76/62 mm Compact gun 3 × Oto Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO 4 × OTOMAT SSMs 2 × 324 mm triple torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	9 Augusta AB204 or Augusta AB 212 helicopters or 6 AB-61 helicopters

Vittorio Veneto is a helicopter cruiser that served with the Italian Navy. Originally intended to be a class of two ships specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), only Vittorio Veneto entered into service in 1969, its sister ship Italia being cancelled. Vittorio Veneto was decommissioned in 2003. This ship has the same general layout as the smaller Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruisers, but with two elevators in the flight deck and the hangar below, rather than with the hangar as part of the superstructure. It was named for the decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto which ended World War I on the Italian front.

Though the Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruisers proved a useful addition to the fleet, it was judged that a larger ship was necessary. Such a vessel would be able operate a larger airwing and provide helicopter support in bad weather conditions. These considerations led to the Vittorio Veneto class, of which two ships were originally planned, though only one was actually built. The second ship of the class, Italia, was cancelled.

The ship was laid down on 10 June 1965 and launched on 5 February 1967. The cruiser was completed on 12 July 1969 at the Italcantieri plant of Castellammare di Stabia. It entered in service in the October of the same year, at the naval base of Taranto. Vittorio Veneto remained the flagship of the Italian Navy until the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi was commissioned in 1985.

Vittorio Veneto has a displacement of 7,500 tons standard and 8,850 tons fully loaded. Unlike the Andrea Dorias, which had separate funnels, it has two combination mast/funnels. The second major difference in design is the location of the helicopter facilities. Vittorio Veneto has a raised read deck to accommodate a hangar beneath the helicopter platform, rather than a frigate/destroyer style hangar in the superstructure. There are two elevators to transfer the helicopters between the hangar and the deck.

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Wikipedia