Rome, 30 April 2024 – Incursions, sabotage, drone explosions. But also radar interference. In the ‘war’ against the Houthiswho with their attacks on merchant ships undermine international trade linked to Israel, Italy has deployed the Virginio Fasan which, like the other Fremms (European multi-mission frigates), is known for its system Nettuno 4100 jammer. Having entered into action from the Suez Canal last 24 December, the Fasan is involved in theAspides operation.
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Characteristics
As stated on the Navy website, the units of this class were the first escort ships in the world to have equipment for the boarding and storage of anti-submarine helicopters. The ship Fasan, which it can sail up to 27 knotshas on board considerable armament: 4 Teseo Mk2/A ASuW missiles and for terrestrial targets; 4 Milas ASW and ASuW missiles; 16 VLS Sylver cells for MBDA Aster 15 and 30 missiles (anti-aircraft and anti-missile); provision for additional 16 VLS Sylver cells; 2 76/62 Super Rapido cannons (ability to fire DAVIDE ammunition); 2 OTO Melara KBA 25/80 machine guns; 2 SLAT launchers for anti-torpedo deception; 2 SCLAR-H rocket launchers for ECM deception and shore bombardment; and 2 tri-tube systems for launching MU-90 torpedoes.
The military vessel is equipped, like all Fremms, with the system Nettuno 4100 jammerwhich allows you to emit radio signals that interfere with the operation of enemy radars, saturating the receiver or providing false information. The targets of jammer systems can be detection radars, with the aim of not allowing operators to detect the presence of units in the attack phase, or the warheads of radar-seeking missiles, with the aim of diverting them from the real objective. The Nettuno 4100, in particular, uses active broadband antennas with electronic pointing e transceiver modules solid state. The system is able to automatically modulate the countermeasures depending on the type of attack being aimed.
History
The unit, built in the factory Fincantieri of Riva Trigosowas launched on March 31, 2012 and subsequently transported to the Muggiano factory for completion of the set-up and testing. The ship was delivered to the Navy on 19 December 2013.
In the past another unit with the same name, also of the anti-submarine frigate type, has already served in the Navy. The first Virginio Fasan it was built in the Navalmeccanica shipyards of Castellamare di Stabia in 1960 and belonged to the Luigi Rizzo class. The units of this class were the first escort ships in the world to have boarding equipment and the hospitalization of anti-submarine helicopters. This peculiarity was also worth the modifications to extend the flight deck during the life of the frigate. In addition to the name, the two Virginio Fasans share the number of crew members present on board, i.e. 167. The crest is common to all units of the Fremm class: it represents a three-quarter image of the ship’s profile to highlight the sensors , the new artillery and the stealth features (which make it ‘invisible’ to radar), already present on commander class patrol boats.
The ship takes the name of the sailor Virginio Fasan, gold medal for military valor in memory awarded on 9 September 1943.
