Italian ship Vulcano


Vulcano is a warship of the Italian Navy, a, the lead ship in its class. It was built as part of a joint project between Italy and France to build such ships. It is a replenishment oiler auxiliary ship. Vulcano has the pennant number A 5335.

Specifications

  • Name: Vulcano
  • Pennant number: A 5335
  • Yard number: 6259
  • Ship's complement: 235 personnel
  • Passenger quarters: 200 people
  • Length:
  • Speed:
  • Displacement: 27,200 tons
  • Embarkment for 8× mission modules, for personnel and healthcare
  • Drinking water creation for supply to land
  • 2500 kW power creation for supply to land
  • Onboard crane for lift of
  • Helicopter operations
  • * Helicopter hangar
  • * Maintenance and repair
  • * 2× EH-101 helicopters
  • Small boat operations
  • At-sea rescue and recovery operations capability
  • Naval command and control centre
  • Naval communications centre
  • Non-lethal defensive array
;Supply operations:
Vulcano functions as a logistics vessel a naval supply ship for delivery of supplies to naval operations and transfer to other ships
  • Fuel replenishment
  • Water replenishment
  • Food replenishment
  • Parts replenishment
  • Ammo replenishment
;Hospital operations:
Vulcano also functions as a floating hospital, hospital ship

History

Vulcano was ordered by Italy in 2015 as a logistics support ship. The logistics support ship was built by Fincantieri at the Naval Integrated Shipyard in Muggiano In 2019, four more ships were ordered by France in the pattern of Vulcano, the. Vulcano was launched in 2018. She started sea trials in December 2019. Vulcano was delivered to the Italian Navy in March 2021. She was later commissioned into the Italian Navy, also in March 2021.
In December 2023, the ship was deployed to Arish, Sinai, Egypt; on the Mediterranean coast, for relief operations as a floating hospital, in the Gaza war between Hamas and Israel, for residents of the Gaza Strip. On board were medical crews from the Italian Army, Navy, Air Force. At the end of January 2024, Vulcano left Arish to return Italy, with patients aboard for further treatment in Italy. The vessel returned to La Spezia, Italy by the beginning of February 2024.