Italian destroyer Ardito (D 550)

	Ardito in La Spezia on 20 June 2016.
History
Italy
Name	Ardito
Namesake	Ardito
Operator	Italian Navy
Builder	Cantiere navale di Castellammare di Stabia
Laid down	19 July 1968
Launched	27 November 1971
Commissioned	5 December 1972
Decommissioned	28 September 2006
Identification	Pennant number: D 550 ; ITU Call Sign: IARD;
Motto	NIHIL OBEST
Fate	Scrapped in Aliaga Turkey 2018
General characteristics
Class and type	Audace-class destroyer
Displacement	4,554 tons full load
Length	140.7 m (461 ft 7 in)
Beam	14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)
Draught	4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2-shaft geared steam turbines; 4 × Foster Wheeler boilers providing 73,000 hp (54,000 kW);
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Complement	380
Armament	As built:; 2 × Otobreda 127 mm gun; 4 × Oto Melara 76/62 mm Compact gun; 1 × Tartar SAM system; 2 × 324 mm triple torpedo launchers; 2 × 533 mm triple torpedo launchers; Post 1987–1990 modernization:; 1 × Otobreda 127 mm gun; 4 × Oto Melara 76/62 mm Super Rapido gun; 1 × Mk.29 octuple launcher for Sea Sparrow/Selenia Aspide SAM; 1 × Mk 13 launcher with 40 Standard SM-1MR missiles; 8 × OTOMAT SSMs; 2 × 324 mm triple torpedo launchers;
Aircraft carried	2 AB-212ASW helicopters

Ardito (D 550) is the second ship of the Audace-class destroyer of the Italian Navy.

Development

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.

Construction and career

She is laid down on 19 July 1968 and launched on 27 November 1971 by Cantiere Navale di Castellamare di Stabia. 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]