The Stromboli class consists of three supply ships at sea and transport, ordered by the Italian Navy in the seventies as a necessary step for offshore operations: Stromboli and Vesuvius distinguished respectively by the optical badge A 5327 and A 5329 and one by the Iraqi navy. Subsequently, in the second half of the nineties, a fourth unit derived from the class was built, the Etna but enlarged, significantly modified and with greater operational capacity than the previous ones.
A ship similar to the first two was built for the Iraqi Navy , called Agnadeen and with an A 102 optical badge , after having carried out the training of on-board personnel in Italian waters between 1984 and 1985, in 1986 she docked in Alexandria d ‘ Egypt , where it remained blocked due to the developments of the Iran-Iraq conflict that had led Iranian troops to threaten the Iraqi port of Basra , base of the Iraqi navy , thus ending up being interned in the Egyptian port due to the embargo due to the Iran-Iraq war and later the Gulf War. The Iraqi refueler differed from similar Italian units essentially in armament, being equipped with a 76/62 Super Rapido gun instead of the enlarged 76/62 MMI gun .
Features
Stromboli and Vesuvius have the transport capacity of 4,000 tons of diesel, 400 tons of aviation fuel, 300 tons of other supplies. The two units have two refueling stations and are equipped for VERTREP ( Vert ical rep lenishment) refueling, ie for vertical refueling operations at sea with the helicopter in flight. The units were armed with a 76/62 mm MMI Oto Melara cannon in the bow and with a 25/90 mm machine gunner for anti-aircraft defense. The propulsion is diesel, with 2 Grandi Motori Trieste C428-SS engines that discharge 9,600 HP of power on a single propeller ; the speed is 18 knots.
Specifications
| Type: | Replenishment oiler |
| Displacement: | – 9.100 t (8.956 long tons) full load – 4.200 t (4.134 long tons) to empty ship |
| Length: | 129 m (423 ft) LOA |
| Beam: | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Depth: | 6.5 m (21 ft) |
| Propulsion: | – 1 × shafts – 2 × diesel engines Grandi Motori Trieste GMT C420.8-SS1, 3.529 kW (4.732 bhp) each – 2 × diesel engines generator Grandi Motori Trieste GMT A230.12M, 1.250 kW (1.676 bhp) each – 2 × diesel engines generator Grandi Motori Trieste GMT A230.6, 600 kW (800 bhp) each – 1 × emergency diesel engine generator Grandi Motori Trieste GMT A-230-6, 503 kW (675 bhp) |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Range: | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) to 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement: | 12 officers, 120 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
– 1 x surface radar Selex ES SMA MM/SPS/702 – 2 × navigation radar GEM Elettronica (MM/SPN-753 and MM/SPN-754) – 1 × fire direction radar Selenia Orion RTN-10X – 1 × SICRAL 1, 1B and 2 satellite communication system – 3 satellite communication systems |
| Armament: | Stromboli and Vesuvio – 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm/62 calibre Allargato gun – 2 × OTO Melara KBA 25 mm/80 calibre guns – 2 × MG 42/59 7. 62 mm Agnadeen – 1 x OTO Melara 76 mm/62 calibre Compatto gun – 2 x MG 42/59 7.62 mm |
| Aviation facilities: | Flight deck for NH90 and AW101 helicopters. |
| Notes: | 2 × RAS systems |
Operators
- Italian Navy – 2 units in active. First unit was delivered in 1975. To be replaced by Vulcano-class.
