Italian Navy commissioned Logistic Support Ship Vulcano at the Naval Integrated Shipyard Fincantieri del Muggiano (SP) with a ceremony on 12 March, Italian Navy announced with a press release.
Another press release shared by the main contractor company Fincantieri, as follows;
The multi-year program for the renewal of the Italian Navy’s fleet foresees the construction, besides the LSS, of the transport and landing unit LHD (or Landing Helicopter Dock) “Trieste” – under construction in this same shipyard with delivery in 2022 – as well as seven Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ships (PPA), which will enter the fleet starting this year.
The fundamental characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their high level of innovation providing them with a considerable degree of efficiency and flexibility in serving different mission profiles. In particular, these are dual-use vessels, meaning that they may be used for both standard military purposes and those in favor of the community (as for example for civil protection), and they also have a low environmental impact thanks to a state-of-the-art auxiliary propulsion system generating a low level of pollution emissions (electric engines).
The project of “Vulcano” underlies the FLOTLOG (“Flotte Logistique”) program, consisting in the construction of four LSS destined to the French Navy, by the temporary consortium between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group under the Italian-French LSS Program led by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation). The construction of the forward sections of these ships has been commissioned to Fincantieri, which last month has laid the keel of the first vessel at its shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia (Naples).
The vessel “Vulcano” is classified by RINA pursuant to international conventions about prevention of pollution regarding the more traditional aspects, like the ones of the MARPOL Convention, as well as those not yet mandatory, as the Hong Kong Convention about ship recycling.
The French units will be delivered by shipbuilder Naval Group under the Fincantieri design. The French Navy through OCCAR ordered four modified ships of the class to replace its Durance-class tankers to be delivered in 2022, 2025, 2027 and 2029. France officially joined the program in October 2018, and Fincantieri cut the first ship’s steel in June 2020.
Vulcano Logistic Support Ship:
Vulcano is designed to support fleet operations with fuel and dry stores. Along with another future sister ship, she is expected to replace the AORs Stromboli (A5327) and Vesuvio (A5329).
The stern section built at the Riva Trigoso Naval Shipyard and the bow section built at the Castellammare di Stabia (Naples) Naval Shipyard.
The Vulcano Logistic Support Ship (LSS) provides thorough logistics support to the fleet. The vessel is endowed with fully equipped hospital and healthcare capabilities, including operating rooms, radiology and analysis rooms, a dentist’s office, and hospital rooms capable of hosting up to 13 patients. The ship is capable of combining capacity to transport and transfer to other vessels both liquids (diesel fuel, jet fuel, freshwater) and solids (emergency spare parts, food, and ammunitions) and to perform repairs and maintenance work for other ships at sea. The defense systems are restricted to the capacity of command and control in tactical scenarios, communications, and dissuasive non-lethal defense. The vessel is anyway capable of embarking on more complex defense systems, becoming an intelligence and electronic warfare platform.
Key Specifications:
- Length overall: 193.0 m
- Length between perpendiculars: 176.0 m
- Moulded breadth: 24.0 m
- Full load displacement: 27,200 t
- Transported cargoes: up to 15,500 t
- Speed (max/cruise): about 20/16 knots
- Range: at 16 knots 7,000 nm
- Crew + additional personnel: 235 people + 13 hospitalized
- Propulsion system: CODLAD (2 x DE +2 EM / 2 x FCPP)
- Generating sets: 4 + 2 Shaft generators + 1 Emerg.
- Flight deck: for NH90 or EH101
- Hangar: for 2 EH101
