Sauro-class submarines

Sauro-class submarines
Ship name	Sauro-class submarines

Sauro-class submarines are a class of Italian Navy submarines that were designed and built by Fincantieri and Navalmeccanica in the 1970s and 1980s. The class is named after the Italian word for "lizard" and consists of eight submarines, including Nazario Sauro (S 518), Carlo Feccia di Cossato (S 519), Leonardo da Vinci (S 520), Guglielmo Marconi (S 521), Salvatore Pelosi (S 522), Giuliano Prini (S 523), Primo Longobardo (S 524), and Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia (S 525). The Sauro-class submarines were designed to operate in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and have participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Dragon Hammer and the United States Navy's Exercise Phoenix Express.

Design and Development

The Sauro-class submarines were designed by Italian Navy engineers in collaboration with Fincantieri and Navalmeccanica, with the goal of creating a submarine that could operate effectively in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The design was influenced by the United States Navy's Los Angeles-class submarines and the Royal Navy's Trafalgar-class submarines, and features a Teardrop hull and a sail that houses the submarine's Periscope and Communication equipment. The submarines are powered by a Diesel-electric propulsion system, which consists of three MTU Friedrichshafen diesel engines and three Ansaldo Electric electric motors, and have a top speed of over 19 knots. The Sauro-class submarines have also been equipped with Sonar systems, including the Thomson-CSF DSUV-22 sonar and the Raytheon AN/BQQ-5 sonar, and have participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Dynamic Manta and the French Navy's Exercise Polaris.

Operational History

The Sauro-class submarines have been operated by the Italian Navy since the 1980s and have participated in several international exercises and operations, including NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture and the United Nations' UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. The submarines have also been deployed to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean as part of the European Union's Operation Atalanta and the United States Navy's Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition, the Sauro-class submarines have been used for Maritime patrol and Surveillance missions in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and have worked with other navies, including the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, and the French Navy. The submarines have also participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Noble Mariner and the German Navy's Exercise Baltic Operations.

Characteristics

The Sauro-class submarines have a length of 66.9 meters and a beam of 6.8 meters, and displace over 1,400 tons of water. The submarines are powered by a Diesel-electric propulsion system, which consists of three MTU Friedrichshafen diesel engines and three Ansaldo Electric electric motors, and have a top speed of over 19 knots. The submarines are equipped with six 533 mm Torpedo tubes and can carry up to 12 A184 torpedoes, as well as Harpoon Anti-ship missiles and Mk 24 Tigerfish Torpedoes. The submarines also have a crew of 51, including seven officers and 44 enlisted personnel, and are equipped with Sonar systems, including the Thomson-CSF DSUV-22 sonar and the Raytheon AN/BQQ-5 sonar.

Ships in Class

The Sauro-class submarines consist of eight submarines, including Nazario Sauro (S 518), Carlo Feccia di Cossato (S 519), Leonardo da Vinci (S 520), Guglielmo Marconi (S 521), Salvatore Pelosi (S 522), Giuliano Prini (S 523), Primo Longobardo (S 524), and Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia (S 525). The submarines were built by Fincantieri and Navalmeccanica at their shipyards in Monfalcone and Muggiano, and were commissioned into the Italian Navy between 1980 and 1993. The submarines have been named after famous Italian people, including Nazario Sauro, Carlo Feccia di Cossato, and Leonardo da Vinci, and have participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Dynamic Manta and the French Navy's Exercise Polaris.

Service and Upgrades

The Sauro-class submarines have undergone several upgrades and modernizations since their commissioning, including the installation of new Sonar systems and the upgrade of their Torpedo tubes to fire A184 torpedoes. The submarines have also been equipped with new Communication equipment, including the Thales TRC-2640 satellite communication system, and have participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture and the United States Navy's Exercise Phoenix Express. In addition, the Sauro-class submarines have been used for Maritime patrol and Surveillance missions in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and have worked with other navies, including the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, and the French Navy. The submarines have also participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Noble Mariner and the German Navy's Exercise Baltic Operations.

Operators

The Sauro-class submarines are operated by the Italian Navy, which has a total of eight submarines in the class. The submarines are based at the Italian Navy's submarine base in Taranto, and have participated in several international exercises and operations, including NATO's Exercise Dynamic Manta and the United Nations' UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. The Sauro-class submarines have also worked with other navies, including the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, and the French Navy, and have participated in several international exercises, including NATO's Exercise Trident Juncture and the United States Navy's Exercise Phoenix Express. The submarines have also been used for Maritime patrol and Surveillance missions in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and have been equipped with new Sonar systems and Communication equipment, including the Thomson-CSF DSUV-22 sonar and the Thales TRC-2640 satellite communication system.

Category:Submarine classes