Navy: the amphibious ship Trieste delivered. This is what it looks like and what it will be used for

The Italian Navy is enriched with a new jewel of technology: the amphibious multi-role ship Trieste, built by Fincantieri and delivered to the port of Livorno during a ceremony attended by the Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, and marked by the swearing-in of the students of the first class of the Naval Academy. The event was also attended by the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Enrico Credendino, the Chief of Defence Staff, Luciano Portolano, the Advisor for Military Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic, Gianni Candotti, and the top management of the shipbuilding group, CEO Pierroberto Folgiero and President Biagio Mazzotta. Here is a sketch of the ship and what it will be used for.

Launched at the end of May 2019 in Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, and subsequently transferred to Muggiano (La Spezia) for final outfitting, it is the largest naval unit built by the national shipbuilding industry since the Second World War, a very important milestone in the technological and operational evolution of the Armed Force. This multirole amphibious assault unit, in many respects a pioneer, represents technical excellence with advanced projection capabilities and the ability to conduct amphibious assault operations, thanks to its ability to guarantee a prolonged stay in the operational area by virtue of its high logistic autonomy.

With a length of 245 metres, a width of 36 metres and a full load displacement of 38,000 tonnes - in essence, the weight of the unit -, the Trieste ship has 1,000 berths and a flight deck of approximately 230 metres and is capable of conducting the full spectrum of amphibious operations by projecting and supporting a battalion of 600 riflemen. The garage deck also has 1,200 linear metres to accommodate wheeled and tracked vehicles, both civil and military, consolidating the ship's role as a strategic element of support and versatility.

Nave Trieste is a state-of-the-art ship designed as a Landing Helicopter Dock (Lhd). The unit combines several operational capabilities, including troop transport, logistic support and air operations. And it is a demonstration of Italian industrial know-how and the capabilities of Italian shipyards in integrating complex and innovative systems.

Nave Trieste's main role is as a multi-role amphibious unit, a platform designed to support landing and force projection operations from and over the sea in crisis areas. Thanks to a large internal flood basin, the unit is able to operate as a true mobile base for landing operations, guaranteeing the ability to project, even beyond the horizon (i.e. beyond 24 miles from the coast), significant forces in any operational environment. Furthermore, one of its strengths is its operational versatility that allows it to quickly adapt to different situations, from military intervention to the management of humanitarian emergencies.