Cassiopea-class patrol vessel

The Cassiopea class is a series of four heavy patrol boats of the Italian Navy. They were built in the late 1980s on civilian standards. They are designed for patrol in safe areas.

Patrol ship Spica (P 403)
Class overview
Name	Cassiopea
Builders	Fincantieri – Muggiano
Operators	Italian Navy  Albanian Naval Force
Completed	4
Active	Cassiopea (P 401) Libra (P 402) Spica (P 403) Vega (P 404)
General characteristics [1]
Type	Patrol vessel
Displacement	1.130 t (1.112 long tons) standard 1.500 t (1.476 long tons) full load
Length	79.80 m (261 ft 10 in) oa 71.50 m (234 ft 7 in) pp
Beam	11.80 m (38 ft 9 in)
Draught	3.60 m (11 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	- 2 x shafts - 2 x diesel engines Grandi Motori Trieste BL-230.16 propulsion diesels 5.84 kW (7.83 bhp) - 3 x diesel engine generators Isotta Fraschini ID 36SS6V - 1 x diesel engine generator Isotta Fraschini VM-V6130T for emergency
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) maximum 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) continuous
Range	3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Endurance	35 days
Crew	6 officers, 54 enlisted
Sensors & processing systems	1 × SMA SPN-748(V)2 Navigation radar 1 × AESN SPS-702(v)2 surface search radar 1 × AESN SPG-70 (RTN 10X) fire control radar 1 × GEM Elettronica Gemini-DB navigation radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	Elint equipment
Armament	1 × OTO Melara 76/62mm Allargato gun 2 × OTO Melara 25/80 guns with Oerlikon KBA 25 mm [2] 2 × 7,62 mm MG 42/59 machine guns
Aircraft carried	1 Agusta-Bell AB-212 ASW helicopter
Aviation facilities	Hangar and flight deck

Development and design

In the early 1980s the Italian navy developed two classes of corvettes to replace older vessels. The Minerva class were fully combatant ships to serve as coastal escorts, and equipped with modern sensors and armament, while the Cassiopea class were simpler offshore patrol vessels intended to replace the old Albatros-class corvettes used for fisheries patrol.^[1][3]

Vega

Construction of four ships (out of eight originally planned) was authorized in December 1982, with funding from the Ministry of Merchant Marine. Orders were placed in December 1986, with construction starting the next year at Fincantieri shipyard, Muggiano. The ships were built to mercantile standards, and the first ship entered service in 1989. A further two ships were cancelled in 1991, prior to the start of construction.^[1][4]

Cassiopea

The ships' main gun armament is a single 76mm/L62 Allargato gun; both gun and fire control systems came from scrapped Bergamini-class frigates. Each ship is fitted with a flight deck and fixed hangar to accommodate a helicopter type Agusta-Bell AB-212 ASW of the Italian navy. Each also carries equipment for dealing with pollution.^[1] Between 2012 and 2014 all units were fitted with Selex ES Janus-N IR optronic system. As of 2014 the ships, starting with Libra were fitted with new dual-band navigation (X/Ka) Gemini-DB radar systems from GEM Elettronica.

Ships

Source:^[1]

Italian Navy - Cassiopea class
Name	Pennant number	Hull number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Motto
Cassiopea	P 401	5846 [5]	16 March 1987	19 July 1988	21 October 1989	Adsum
Libra	P 402	5847	16 March 1987	27 July 1988	23 March 1991	Patiens vigil audax
Spica	P 403	5848	5 September 1988	27 May 1989	23 March 1991	Vigile attendo
Vega	P 404	5849	30 June 1989	24 February 1990	8 May 1992	Sempre e ovunque

Transfer to the Albanian Navy

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the takeover of new warship on Saturday April 5th 2025. The main armament of the "Cassiopea" is a single Oto-Melara 76/62 Allargato gun, with weapons and fire control systems used by decommissioned Rizzo/Bergamini-class frigates. It is now learned that this ship is a corvette type, "Cassiopea", the "Libra", of the Italian Navy. Its delivery is in the process, expected in the coming days. This brand of warship is equipped militarily and with tasks mainly in maritime defense and surveillance. It is expected that this ship, after a general service and overhaul, will be active in service for up to the next 15 years. The delivery of the ship will take place in a ceremony, which is expected to be attended by the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto. The corvette is expected to be delivered under the company of the pride of the Italian Navy, 'Amerigo Vespucci'.