Peruvian Navy frigate BAP Carvajal participating in Southern Seas 2010
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Class overview | |
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Name: | Lupo class |
Builders: |
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Operators: | |
Preceded by: | Alpino class |
Succeeded by: | Maestrale class |
Subclasses: |
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In commission: | 1977 |
Planned: | 18 |
Completed: | 18 |
Active: | 14 |
Laid up: | 1 |
Preserved: | 3 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | guided missile frigate |
Displacement: | 2.506 t (2.466 long tons) full load |
Length: | 113.2 m (371 ft) LOA |
Beam: | 11.3 m (37 ft) |
Draft: | 3.7 m (12 ft) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: |
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Range: | 4,300 nmi (8,000 km) at 16 kn (30 km/h) |
Complement: | 185 (20 officers) |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Electronic warfare & decoys: |
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Armament: |
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Aircraft carried: | 1 AB-212ASW helicopter |
Aviation facilities: |
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The Lupo class is a class of frigates built by Cantieri Navali Riuniti (CNR) for the Italian Navy. Designed as multipurpose warships with emphasis on anti-surface warfare (ASuW), they have enjoyed some success in the export market, being acquired by the navies of Peru and Venezuela. A small run of a slightly updated version is known as the Soldati class.
In the early 1970s, the Marina Militare faced an increased Soviet naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea which constituted a threat to its sea lines of communication as well as to its extensive coastline. To parry this menace, Italy started a naval expansion program which included frigates focused on ASuW (Lupo class) and on ASW (Maestrale class).
For the first part of the requirement, CNR presented a design for a 2,500-ton frigate with a high speed and a heavy weapons load. The ship employed a CODOG propulsion plant to achieve 35 knots, making it one of the fastest warships at the time. Armament included 8 SSMs, 8 SAMs, several gun systems, 2 triple torpedo tubes and an ASW helicopter, which was equivalent to that carried by larger warships. Lupo-class frigates have a crew of around 200.