.jpg) Giuseppe Garibaldi in 2004 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Italy | |
| Name | Giuseppe Garibaldi |
| Namesake | Giuseppe Garibaldi |
| Builder | Fincantieri, Monafalcone Shipyard,Monfalcone (Gorizia) |
| Cost | Lire 428billion (1981) (equivalent to€903.63 million in 2019) |
| Laid down | 26 March 1981[1] |
| Launched | 11 June 1983 |
| Commissioned | 30 September 1985 |
| Decommissioned | 1 October 2024 |
| Homeport | Taranto |
| Identification | Pennant number: 551 |
| Motto | Obbedisco ("I Obey") |
| Status | Retired |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | ASWaircraft cruiser/aircraft carrier |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 180.2 m (591 ft) |
| Beam | 33.4 m (110 ft) |
| Draught | 8.2 m (27 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph)+ |
| Range | 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried |
|
| Notes | flight deck is length 174.0 m (570.9 ft) and 30.0 m (98.4 ft) wide |
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italianaircraft carrier, the first through-deck aviation ship ever built for theItalian Navy, and the first Italian ship built to operatefixed-wing aircraft. Although she was widely recognised as a carrier first and foremost, she was officially designated as anaircraft-carrying cruiser.[3][4][5]
The ship was equipped withshort take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft and helicopters.Giuseppe Garibaldi was involved in combat air operations offSomalia,Kosovo,Afghanistan andLibya.
The ship was powered by fourFiatCOGAGgas turbines built under license fromGE, offering a sustained power of 81,000 hp (60 MW). Driving two shafts the ship had a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and could travel for 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at around 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).
The ship was equipped with fourOtomat Mk2 short rangesurface-to-surface missile system installed at the stern of the vessel (removed in 2003 to improve theflight deck andsatellite communications) and two ILAS three triple tubetorpedo launchers. Defences was provided by two eight-cellSAM launchers firing theSARHAspide missile, and threeOto Melara Twin 40L70DARDOCIWS.
The ship also had severalcountermeasures, including two SCLAR twenty-barrel launchers forchaff,decoy, flares, or jammers, theSLQ-25 Nixie and SLAT anti-torpedo systems andECM systems.
The air arm consisted of a maximum of sixteenAV-8B Harrier IIs and twosearch and rescue helicopters, or eighteenAgusta helicopters or a mix of helicopters and fighters. The flight deck had the characteristic off-axis design with a 6.5-degreeski-jump forSTOL aircraft; it was 174 m (571 ft) long and 30.4 m (100 ft) wide.[6]
A 1937 law gave control of all national fixed-wing air assets to theItalian Air Force, and the navy was only permitted to operate helicopters. At the time of the ship's commissioning ofGaribaldi, theItalian Naval Aviation did not receive her Harriers, so it was reclassified as anIncrociatore portaeromobili (Italian forAircraft carrying cruiser). Until 1988 only Italian helicopters landed on her deck, as well asRoyal Navy Sea Harriers during NATO joint maneuvers. The ban on fixed-wing aircraft was lifted in 1989, and the Italian Navy acquired Harrier II fighters to fly from theGiuseppe Garibaldi.[7]
The ship underwent a modernization in 2003 and a major restructuring in 2013.
TheGiuseppe Garibaldi was the fourth ship of theItalian Navy to be named after the 19th-century Italian GeneralGiuseppe Garibaldi. All four ships, including the missile cruiser, together with an image of Garibaldi, were depicted in the crest.
Built byFincantieri (Italcantieri) at theMonfalcone shipyards on theGulf of Trieste, it waslaid down on 26 March 1981,[1]launched on 11 June 1983, andcommissioned on 30 September 1985.Garibaldi was classed as ananti-submarine warfare carrier (ASW), and was based inTaranto.
_with_the_Italian_aircraft_carrier_ITS_Giuseppe_Garibaldi_(C-551).jpg)
In 1999 with theKosovo War in the Balkans, Italy committed Harrier AV-8B II+ fighters embarked aboardGiuseppe Garibaldi from 13 May to early June 1999. The planes carried out 30 sorties in 63 hours of flight. The aircraft used Mk 82 GBU-16 bombs and AGM-65 Maverick missiles. The Italian naval force, in addition to the aircraft carrierGiuseppe Garibaldi with her air group, included theMaestrale-class frigateZeffiro.
Following the attacks of 11 September 2001 and the war on terror declared by U.S.President Bush, Italy participated inOperation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.Giuseppe Garibaldi was engaged as the command ship of GRUPNAVIT I, 1 Italian Naval Group, which also includedZeffiro, the patrol team and the airman supplier in Etna. The group set sail from Taranto on 18 November 2001. They trained in the Indian Ocean from 3 December 2001 to 1 March 2002 and returned to Taranto on 18 March 2002. During the mission, the AV-8B Harrier unit carried out 288 missions for a total of 860 hours of flight. Tasks carried out included interception/interdiction, sea and air support, and aircraft interdiction in Afghanistan.
In 2009Giuseppe Garibaldi was replaced as theflagship of the Italian Navy by the new and larger carrierCavour.
Participating in the2011 military intervention in Libya after the transfer of authority to NATO and the decision to participate in strike air-ground operations, the Italian government assigned under NATO command four Italian Navy AV-8B plus (from Garibaldi) in addition to Italian air force aircraft.[8] As of 24 March, theItalian Navy was engaged inOperation Unified Protector with the light aircraft carrierGaribaldi, theMaestrale-class frigateLibeccio and the auxiliary shipEtna.[9] Additionally theOrizzonte-class frigateAndrea Doria andMaestrale-class frigateEuro were patrolling off theSicilian coast in an air-defence role.[10][11] In total, until the end of the mission in Libya, the eight Italian Navy AV-8Bs flying from the carrierGiuseppe Garibaldi dropped 160 guided bombs during 1221 flight hours.[12]
The ship was retired in 2024 and replaced by theLHDTrieste.
In March 2025, it was stated that theIndonesian Navy was interested in acquiring the ship from Italy, along with its airwing of Harrier II jets.[13]
Ship classes of theItalian Navy | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft carriers |  | |
| Amphibious ships | ||
| Destroyers | ||
| Frigates | ||
| Corvettes | ||
| Patrol boats | ||
| Submarines | ||
| Minesweepers | ||
| Auxiliary ships | ||
| Training ships | ||
| Floating dry docks | ||
| Future ships | ||
| ||
