Italian frigate Grecale

For other ships with the same name, see Italian ship Grecale.

Grecale (F 571) was the second ship of the Maestrale-class frigate of the Italian Navy. Grecale was decommissioned on 1 April 2025.^[1]

Grecale at her berth in Taranto, 1985
History
Italy
Name	Grecale
Namesake	Gregale in Italian
Builder	Fincantieri, Muggiano shipyards
Laid down	21 March 1979
Launched	12 September 1981
Commissioned	5 February 1983
Decommissioned	1 April 2025[1]
Identification	Pennant number: F 571
Motto	Venti Impetu (Gust)
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Maestrale-class frigate
Displacement	3.040 t (2.992 long tons), full load
Length	- 122.7 m (403 ft) LOA - 114 m (374 ft) LPP
Beam	12.9 m (42 ft)
Draught	4.2 m (14 ft)
Propulsion	- CODOG scheme - 2 × GE/Avio General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 18.380 kW (24.648 hp) each - 2 × diesel engines Grandi Motori Trieste BL-230-20-DVM, 4.044 kW (5.423 hp) each - 4 × diesel engine generators Grandi Motori Trieste A-236-SS, 780 kW (1,050 hp) each with Ansaldo generators - 2 × 5-blade propellers
Speed	33 kn (61 km/h; 38 mph) (21 kn (39 km/h; 24 mph) on diesel)
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	24 officers 201 sailors
Sensors & processing systems	- 1 × Selenia RAN-10S/SPS-774 surface and air surveillance radar[2] - 1 × Selenia SMA SPS-702 surface search radar[2] - 1 × Selenia SMA SPS-703 navigation radar (then replaced by one GEM Elettronica MM-SPN 753 Arpa)[2] - 1 × Selenia SPG-75 fire control radar[2] - 2 × Selenia SPG-74 fire control radar (for Dardo)[2] - 1 × Raytheon DE 1164, VDS sonar[2] - 1 × Raytheon DE 1160B, hull mounted sonar[2]
Electronic warfare & decoys	- (Elettronica Spa MM/SLQ-746[3]) 2 × SLQ-D jammers[2] - 1 × ARBG-1A Saigon radio interceptor[2] - 1 × SLR-4 Newton intercept[2] - 2 × 20-round OTO Melara/Breda SCLAR decoy RL (Dagaie on Grecale)[2] - 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed acoustic torpedo system[2] - Prairie/Masker air-bubbler noise-suppression system[2]
Armament	- 4 × TESEO Mk-2 anti-ship missiles, double launchers - 1 × Albatross octuple Aspide SAM launchers - 1 × Otobreda 127 mm/54 gun - 2 × Oto Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO CIWS - 2 × Browning HB2B 12.7 mm - 2 × MG 42/59 7.62 mm - 2 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (Whitehead B-516, with Whitehead A-184 torpedoes: then removed) - 2 × 324 mm triple torpedo tubes (Whitehead ILAS-3) with Mk-46 Mod.2 torpedoes
Aircraft carried	- flight deck 27 m (89 ft) x 12 m (39 ft) m - 2 x AB-212 helicopters

Development

The Maestrale-class frigates were primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), however the ships are highly flexible so they are also capable of anti-air and anti-surface operations. Ships of this class have been widely used in various international missions, either under NATO or UN flag, and during normal operations of the Italian Navy.

The first of these ships entered in service in early 1982. The rest of the fleet was launched over the next three years. The ships of the Maestrale class will be replaced by the Bergamini class.^[4][5]

Construction and career

She was laid down on 21 March 1979 and launched on 12 September 1981 by Fincantieri shipyards. Commissioned on 5 February 1983 with the hull number F 571.

Grecale underwent modernization in 2007 and again in 2010.