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Description: In 2014, the Italian Navy presented a new document called “Legge navale 2014-2015,” which introduced various projects for new units, one of them being a new multirole class of frigate-sized warships, the PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura, in English: Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Vessel). This class wasn’t similar to anything planned before, as it was supposed to replace any ship from the size of a small patrol vessel (Cassiopea class) to the aging DDG (Durand De la Penne class), with 16 units initially planned. This initial large number was reduced for the first time after the EPC (European Patrol Corvette) programme was started in 2019. This new class of corvettes, built together with other European nations, aimed to replace various classes the PPA was initially going to replace, thus making the initial order of 16 units redundant and unnecessary. The number of PPAs was then reduced to 10, even though it was 7 de facto plus 3 as an option, which probably won’t ever be executed, as another class of small patrol vessels was announced in 2023 (the PPX class), with a total of 6 units planned for now (and the option to increase such number to 10), which is also going to replace vessels that the PPA was initially going to replace (the same thing that happened with the EPC). The Giovanni Dalle Bande Nere is the fifth unit of the PPA class and the first in the full configuration. This is the most powerful configuration for now, being basically a first-line frigate. It’s indeed equipped with both X- and C-band radars, a full sonar, and ECM suites. The full configuration also includes the addition of 4 (initially 8 but later reduced for space constraints and EM radiation) anti-ship missiles over the Light+ (which only had the addition of VLS over the Light), the Teseo MK2E, while the other armaments remained the same of the light + (the 127/64 main cannon on the bow, the 76/62 mm Sovraponte cannon over the heli hangar, two 25 mm OTO/Oerlikon guns on the side, two single 324 mm torpedo launchers for the Italo/French MU90 and 16 Sylver 50 vls for Aster 15/15 MLU and Aster 30/30 B1NT). This new anti-ship missile is a state-of-the-art system, featuring extended range (over 360 km), an AESA seeker with SAL channel, a stealthy profile, and improved ECM resistance. As you can see from the pictures, the canister that should be located on the bow before the Sylver VLS cannot be seen, as the missile has yet to enter service. The Giovanni Dalle Bande Nere entered service in late 2024, and since she joined the fleet relatively soon, her mission count is still low. In future, two PPA full will be probably converted into EVO standard, and maiby Bande Nere will be one of them
Specifications
Riepilogo
Sources
Riepilogo
Classe Thaon di Revel - Wikipedia
Fincantieri | Paolo Thaon di Revel Class
P-434 Giovanni delle Bande Nere Offshore Patrol Vessel PPA
Pictures
