''Scirocco'' (F 573) is the fourth ship of the Maestrale-class

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

of the

Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...

Development

The ''Maestrale''-class frigates were primarily designed for

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...

(ASW), however the ships are highly flexible so they are also capable of anti-air and anti-surface operations. Ships of this class have been widely used in various international missions, either under

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

or UN flag, and during normal operations of the Italian Navy. The first of these ships entered in service in early 1982. The rest of the fleet was launched over the next three years. The ships of the ''Maestrale'' class will be replaced by the ''Bergamini'' class.

Construction and career

She was laid down on 26 February 1980 and launched on 17 April 1982 by Fincantieri shipyards. Commissioned on 20 September 1983 with the hull number F 573. She was decommissioned on 20 February 2020.

Gallery

File:DN-SD-04-13413.jpg, ''Scirocco'' off the

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا� ...

on 3 May 2004. File:US Navy 040503-N-7586B-081 ITS Scirocco (F 573) uses a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) and a utility boat to board local area fishing dhows during compliant searches of a fishing dhow.jpg, ''Scirocco'' off the

on 3 May 2004. File:BredaDardo40mm.jpg, ''Scirocco’''s Dardo CIWS on 9 November 2008.

References

External links

Ships
Marina Militare website {{DEFAULTSORT:Scirocco (F 573) Maestrale-class frigates 1982 ships Ships built by Fincantieri Frigates of the Cold War