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.
== 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.
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.
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. 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:
== Transfer to the Albanian Navy == Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the takeover of a new warship on Saturday April 5th 2025. It is now learned that this ship is a "Cassiopea" type corvette, the Libra, of the Italian Navy. Its delivery is in process, expected in the coming days. This brand of warship is equipped militarily for tasks mainly in maritime defense and surveillance. The main armament of the "Cassiopea" type is a single Oto-Melara 76/62 Allargato gun, with weapons and fire control systems as used by decommissioned Rizzo/Bergamini-class frigates. 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 in the company of the pride of the Italian Navy, Amerigo Vespucci.
Notes
== References == Baker, A.D. The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA. ISBN 1-55750-111-4. Gardiner, Roger and Stephen Chumbley. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. Grove, Eric J. NATO Major Warships – Europe. Tri-Service Pocketbook. London: Tri-Service Press, 1990. ISBN 1-85400-006-3.
External links
Cassiopea (P 401) Marina Militare website