The Durand de Le Penne is an escort and combat class ships, able to operate in every combat condition, and especially devised to survive to heavy missile and aircraft attacks. Its construction is made almost totally with steel; the structure is a continuous deck with a stern low and large, to accommodate the helicopter's force. The fore hull is very pointed, with a sea-cutter structure very pronounced. The superstructure blocks are two, relatively low and wide, both with a high, triangular-section, tree for all the electronic. The engines exhausts are on two groups, one for every superstructure: the aft has two exhaust flank to flank, slightly inclined. Then there is the Standard missile system and finally the helicopter's facilities.
The ship itself is built to be much more difficult to sink by enemy action than the previous types, with many bulkheads and anti-fire systems. Many of the main communication lines and computers are duplicated, and there is a NBC system for the crew. Stealthness is partially applied, with reduction of RCS, heat, noise and magnetic signatures.
The speed, given by a CODAG system, is high (31knots) but not so high like previous Audace, also because the modern ships seldom needs of speeds over 25 knots (46 km/h). The endurance, automatization and economy are more important, as well the compact design of this power-plant. The powerplant is based on 2 gas turbine General Electric LM-2500, one of the most successful naval turbines, and 2 diesels. One of each are linked with one shaft fitted with a propeller with 5 blades. The entire propulsion system is controlled remotely; no crew is needed in normal situations inside the powerplant section.
As for vulnerability and general characteristics, these ships, while prestigious, were meant a bit smaller than it was needed. In fact, the weapon (and explosives) concentration is very high. In the foredeck, in less than 20 m there are 3 medium caliber guns, with over 200 shells just behind the deck ready for use, surrounding the Aspide system, that has 16 or 24x230 kg missiles just below the deck. The aft superstructure is equally armed, with a gun, 2 helicopters and 40 SM-1/2 missiles (24 tonnes these latter, with over 1 T high-explosive), plus the ASW torpedo stores (several torpedo as Mk 46 or A244), in less than 25 m. Also because of this, the crew, 380, is not so few as in other modern ships: a large crew is absolutely required to control damage or fire.
Although the class is criticized for the small displacement related to their equipment, the previous Audace were even more critical in this side: they were 900t lighter, quite smaller, with a bulky powerplant; however, in the latest update they had the same armament, plus a Super-Rapido gun (4 instead of 3).
A criticism also levied to these ships is the lack of vertical launchers, not purchased by Marina Militare because of financial constraints, choosing instead to modernize the Impavido's launchers for de la Penne new destroyers. So de la Penne are the last and maybe the more powerful of the "conventional missile destroyers". this had a cost, however, not trascurable: 1500mld. Lire for both these ships (1981-1993 program), partially because a large production run could not be afforded by Marina Militare for such big ships (so not economies of scale were obtained).
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Fincantieri |
| Operators: |  Marina Militare |
| Preceded by: | Audace |
| Succeeded by: | Horizon project |
| In service: | 18 March 1993 |
| In commission: | 20 October 1989 |
| Building: | 0 |
| Planned: | 4 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Cancelled: | 2 |
| Active: | Luigi Durand de la Penne Francesco Mimbelli |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4,500 tons standard 5,400 tons full load |
| Length: | 147.7 m |
| Beam: | 16.1 m |
| Draught: | 5 m |
| Propulsion: | 2 × General Electric/Avio LM2500 gas turbines providing 55,000 hp 2 × Grandi Motori Trieste BL-230-20-DVM diesels providing 12,600 hp |
| Speed: | 32 knots |
| Range: | 7,000 nm at 18 knots |
| Complement: | 380 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | 1 × AESN MM/SPS-768 radar 1 × SPS-52C 3D radar 1 × medium range AESN MM/SPS-774 1 × surface radar AMS MM/SPS-702 1 × nav radar SMA MM/SPN-703 4 × AESN Orion TRN-30X (MM/SPG-76) 1 × sonar system DE-1164/1167 ECM system Elettronica NETTUNO 1 × TACAN URN-25 1 × SADOC-2 combat system |
| Armament: | 1 × Otobreda 127 mm gun 3 × Oto Melara 76/62 mm Super Rapido gun 1 × Mk.29 octuple launcher for Sea Sparrow/Selenia Aspide SAM 1 × Mk 13 launcher with 40 Standard SM-1MR missiles 8 × OTOMAT Mk2 SSMs 4 × Milas anti submarine missile 2 x 324 mm triple torpedo launchers |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 helicopters |
| Aviation facilities: | double hangar |
