C552 Conte di Cavour Design
The future flagship of the Italian Navy, CAVOUR, was initially conceived as a LHD, then the design was changed to a pure 27,500 tons STOVL carrier - though fitted with accommodations for 325 marines. The Conte di Cavour has more than twice the displacement tonnage as the Garibaldi class (26,000 tons versus 13,000 tons) that was completed in 1985. The new carrier is expected to operate the Joint Strike Fighter, when available, as well as the current air wing of AV-8B Harrier II jump jets and assorted helicopters. The new carrier is also expected to support command-and-control efforts as well as peacekeeping and humanitarian operations.
The vessel is 244 meters long, with a beam of 39 meters. She can accommodate 1,210 persons, and has with an endurance of 7,000 miles. The impressive numbers of the aircraft carriers "Cavour", launched in the shipyards of Genoa, inspired the president of the Republic Carl Azeglio Ciampi to say "This ship arouses and will arouse admiration, provoke respect and emotion in anyone of it will see the profile majestic to plow near seas and far, in which it will carry emergency, constitute garrison of the freedom of commerce, exchanges, relations between the people - the head of the State has said without to hide its emotion, referring to the future ship flagship of the Italian Navy. With naval units like this, we can aspire to strategic roles of commando in all the military operations of the European Union".
The maximum speed of the "Cavour" is 28 knots, and it will be able to carry out the flight operations of the airplane embarked in the less easy conditions, that is in wind absence. The autonomy of 7,000 miles, equivalent to approximately 18 days of navigation, will allow the operations at long range. As an example, the aircraft carriers will be able to sail non stop to the Persian Gulf (distant from Taranto approximately 3,300 miles) using 50% of the boarded fuel.
The "Cavour" is a military unit, but ships crew will have the comforts of home. The quality of the lodgings and the services is in fact high, is in terms of space available for each person. Single or double lodgings for officials and marshals are previewed; lodgings to four places for petty officers first class and troop. The common areas are only for the staff of the Saint Regiment Mark [ie, Marines], destined to embark for particular requirements and for brief periods. Particular care has been given to distribution of the food, and to the management of the wastes, both liquid and solid.
The "Cavour" is in a position to embark and operate with all the airplanes that equipe the Military Navy. Helicopters (EH 101, NH 90 and SH 3D), airplane AV-8B, and in the future the F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter). The flight deck extends from the prow with a takeoff track parallel to the longitudinal axis and ski-jump (launch springboard), that it assures to the airplane the possibility to take off with the maximum payload. The hangar is proportioned in order to receive until 12 helicopters or, in alternative, 8 airplane. The movement between hangar and flight deck is assured by two elevators from 30 ton. Of continuation the main characteristics of the flight deck: Dimensions 220x34 m (sup. clean 6,800 mq) Length of the takeoff track 180 meters, width 14 meters, ski-jump with 12° of elevation 6 spot on the left side for the takeoff of helicopters, 1 spot SAR to prow, areas of parking for 8 aircrafts on the side straight 2 elevators for the transfer of aircrafts (30 tons) and 2 elevators for the transfer of ammunitions (15 tons).
The hangar could be employed, partially or totally, for wheeled or tracked vehicles. For the embarkation operations of such means at dock (functioning as a RO-RO), two ramps are provided, determine the proportions for the maximum weight and size of 60 ton., correspondent to the weight of a main battle tank. The dimensions of the hangar are following: length 134 m. width 21 m. The hangar can at the same time accommodate in alternative or land aircrafts and vehicles, separating if necessary to the parking and workspaces with curtains ransom-fire.
The aerial and land means compose the transports of the members of the Commando Team. Troops and flight operations can be distributed over the total use of the spaces available. Parking aircrafts: 12 Helicopters EH-101 or 8 AV-8B/Joint Straight Fighter Transport of land vehicles: 100 light vehicles (cross-country vehicle VM) (beyond 522 linear meters of bridge) or 50 medium vehicles (amphibious LVTP="landing vehicle transport personnel" 7, 80 battleships VCC Dart) (beyond 423 linear meters) or 24 heavy vehicles (MBT="main combat battle tank" Ram from 60 ton.) (beyond 250 linear meters).
The passive emergency of the Unit, that is the ability to defend against fires, has been particularly stressed. For such aspect in fact the innovations matured in the last years in military and civil fields have been evaluated. The ship is subdivided in 7 zones, and is equipped of a computer system of vigilance and support to the decisions in emergency conditions. Curtains have been adopted as an antismoke device, new criteria for stations of recharge respirabile air and relative collector to ring, sagacities for the detection of smoke, the relative positions, accessibility and the conformation of the premises of importance for the Internal Security Service (C.O.P., C.O.C., medical area, stations of control).
The unit is equipped of all the systems necessary in order to operate in atmosphere contaminated from NBC (nuclear, bacteriological or chemical) agents. A system of demagnetization is present (degaussig) completely automated, for the reduction of the magnetic anomalies generated from the unit and therefore in order to reduce the risk from mines.
The Italian classification and certification body RINA is building on its reputation in the naval classification sector, as confirmed by its appointment to class the largest and most complex ship ever built for the Italian Navy, the fixed-wing aircraft carrier Conte di Cavour, under RINA's special rules for naval vessels.
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