Italian destroyer Ardito (D 550)

The design of these ships was related to the previous Impavido-class, but they were meant as a decisive improvement over these older vessels. They hull was more capable to resist high sea conditions, incorporating an aft superstructure used to accommodating two AB-212 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. This gave the vessels an ASW capability, with improved sonars and torpedo tubes.[1]

The superstructures were built with aluminium alloys in two blocks with one mack (this is the combination with the funnels supporting metallic, short trees used for radar equipment) each. The distance between the two superstructure blocks was high, as both the propulsion systems were located at midships and over this, the 76 mm gun battery. The aft superstructure was dedicated to the Tartar/SM-1 missiles and hangar.[2]

Due to its anti-aircraft, anti-submarine and anti-ship characteristics, the Ardito was the most modern that had been conceived and built up to then in the field of military naval construction. type, entered service in December 1973.

She is laid down on 19 July 1968 and launched on 27 November 1971 by Cantiere navale di Riva Trigoso. Commissioned on 5 December 1972 with the hull number D 550 and decommissioned on 28 September 2006.

After leaving service in 2006, after more than 10 years of mooring at the docks of the La Spezia base, in December 2017 the two ships were sold, by the Agenzia Industrie Difesa (AID), by means of an international public auction. within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), at Aliaga.[3]

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  Decommissioned Ardito and Audace in La Spezia on 5 December 2009.
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  Decommissioned Ardito and Audace in La Spezia on 5 December 2009.

• Destroyer Ardito Marina Militare website