Carabiniere (F 581)
Class overview
Name	Alpino class
Builders	Cantieri Navali Riuniti (CNR)
Operators	Italian Navy
Preceded by	Bergamini class
Succeeded by	Lupo class
In service	1963–68
In commission	1968–97
Planned	4
Completed	2
Cancelled	2
Retired	2
General characteristics [1]
Type	Frigate
Displacement	Standard: 2,000 long tons (2,032 t) Full load: 2,700 long tons (2,743 t)
Length	113.30 m (371 ft 9 in)
Beam	13.10 m (43 ft 0 in)
Draught	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2-shaft CODAG system 2 Tosi/Metrovick G6 gas turbines 15,000 shp (11,000 kW) 4 Tosi V12 QTV-320(-12) diesel engines 16,800 shp (12,500 kW)
Speed	29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph) with gas turbines 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) with diesels only
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (diesels)
Complement	263
Sensors and processing systems	Radar: SPS-12 Search SPQ-2 air/surface search/navigation RTN-30X, RTN-10X fire control Sonar: SQS-43 hull sonar SQA-10 VDS
Electronic warfare & decoys	SLQ-D ECM system
Armament	6 × Oto Melara 76 mm (3 in)/62 MMI 1 × Menon ASW mortar 2 × Mark 32 triple 324 mm (13 in) torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried	2 × AB-204[2] or AB-212ASW[3] helicopters
Aviation facilities	Telescopic hangar for 2 medium helicopters.

The Alpino class were a group of two frigates built for the Italian Navy during the Cold War.

Design

The design was originally conceived as an enlarged version of the Canopo-class frigates. The design was however changed radically with a CODAG machinery suite comprising gas turbines and diesels. These ships introduced the use of ship-based helicopters and variable depth sonar into the Italian Navy.

The ships underwent significant modernisation in the 1980s with the fitting of new sonar and electronic warfare equipment.

Ships

Initially four ships were planned to be ordered in 1959 to 1961. These ships were to be named Circe, Climene, Perseo and Polluce in honour of the World War II-era Spica-class torpedo boats of those names. These ships were postponed while the designs were updated and two ships were ordered in 1962. Both vessels were built by CNR in Riva Trigoso and named after types of soldiers and specifically after two World War II Soldati-class destroyers.

The ships were used as auxiliary vessels from the mid-1990s. Carabiniere was used as a trials ship for new missiles (PAAMS) and radar.