Audace-class destroyer (1971)

	Ardito and Audace at La Spezia
Class overview
Name	Audace class
Operators	Italian Navy
Preceded by	Impavido class / Fante class
Succeeded by	Durand de la Penne class
Built	1968–1971
In commission	1971–2006
Planned	2
Completed	2
Retired	2
General characteristics
Type	Guided Missile 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

The Audace-class destroyers were two guided missile destroyers built for the Italian Navy during the Cold War. An improvement of the Impavido class, these ships were designed for area air defence and also had a heavy gun armament. They were fitted with contemporary American radars and sonars, but also, as the next Italian ships, all the modern weapons made by Italian industry of the time, such torpedoes, helicopters and guns. Also some indigenous radars were fitted.

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