Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

The Italian Fleet keeps getting new ships that would seem to be well designed with weapons and electronics on a par with anything else afloat today.

The FREMMS have been built in 2 versions: one ASW, the other ASuW. Additionally their Fleet has one relatively new CVL equipped with Harriers and helos. DFO

I concur Dennis , they are both modern in appearance , but her carrier has few options if she decides to re-equip with a different aircraft [ unless she also goes for the F35b of course ]

They field a sound fleet if it came to the aggressor role , but I thought they were also in financial difficulties [ aren't we all come to that ] but it depends where you stand in this role....... and with whom ........for both support, and technical application of your suite of defences and with whom they would mesh .

Still I'll leave that to those who are better at it than I

Don't know about the bow helo pad in front of the ski sloop thou as that looks like an accident waiting to happen

Durand de la Penne Class Destroyer ITS Francesco Mimbelli pictured in 2017.

We should not leave out the mighty ANDREA DORIAs!! DFO

ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2003..The first through deck aviation ship ever built for the Italian Navy, and the first Italian ship built to operate fixed-wing aircraft.Built by Fincantieri (Italcantieri) at the Monfalcone Shipyards on the Gulf of Trieste, she was laid down on March 26th 1981,launched on June 11th 1983, and commissioned on September 30th 1985. Garibaldi is classed as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Carrier and is based at Taranto.

Hmmmmm someone else still using the OUTDATED Harrier's that we had to scrape

The GARABALDI is a interesting cvl design! Those "old" Harriers do give her some defensive punch. DFO

Yes ......they certainly do Dennis , far better than dumping them like we did ,....until our replacements were rolling off the production line nearly a decade latter but then were British .....no one would dare ......would they

The Italian Navy's 6th FREMM Frigate ITS Luigi Rizzo...2018.

Well there all much of a likeness nowadays in appearance