In the wake of her first sail at sea executed on the 20th of December 2022, the Logistic Support Ship (LSS) «Jacques Chevallier» (A725) has successfully performed its first Sea Trial sequence from the 25th until the 28th of January 2023.
«Jacques Chevallier» (A725) Logistic Support Ship (LSS) Sea Trials Kick-Off
It has allowed carrying several Platform’s trials with a dedicated focus on navigation. This sequence is the first step to the Qualification and then the acceptance of the First of Class which will occur in several months.
Jacques Chevallier was a naval Engineer. He was a pioneer in the nuclear propulsion field for French submarines and assumed the role of «Délégué Général pour l’Armement» (DGA) from 1986 until 1989.
The steel cutting ceremony of the second Logistic Support Ship (LSS) for the Italian Navy, within a program including the option for a third ship, took place on July 20, 2022 at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, where the LSS will be entirely built and delivered in 2025.
Fincantieri: steel cutting of the second LSS unit for the Italian Navy
The value of the contract is approximately 410 million euros including the combat system.
As part of the multi-year program aimed at safeguarding Italy’s Defence at-sea capacity (known as the «Naval Act»), Fincantieri is currently building seven multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels (PPA) – the first one, «Thaon di Revel», was delivered in March – and the «Trieste» Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD). Last year the Group delivered the «Vulcano» LSS, a vessel launched at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard. That project was also acquired by the French Navy for the definition of the Flotlog program, a series of units built in partnership with the same shipyard.
The basic characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their very high level of innovation, which makes them extremely flexible in their various profiles of use with a high degree of efficiency. Most importantly, it will be possible to use these units in a complementary way even for non-military-related activities, such as, for example, supporting civil protection in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Moreover, their environmental impact is low, thanks to advanced low pollution emission generators and electric-drive propulsion motors and biological waste control systems.
The consortium – Raggruppamento Temporaneo di Impresa (RTI) – led by Fincantieri has signed with OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement, the international organization for joint armament cooperation) a contract for the construction of a second Logistic Support Ship (LSS) for the Italian Navy, which also includes the option for a third ship.
Fincantieri to build a second LSS unit for the Italian Navy
The LSS will be entirely built at the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2025. The value of the contract is approximately 410 million euros including the combat system.
The order also includes the provision of support over the lifecycle of the vessel in the first ten years, divided into logistics and in-service support (maintenance), as well as the supply of naval components and machinery produced by Fincantieri Mechanical Systems and Components Unit, including shaft lines, steering system, manoeuvring thrusters, fin stabilizers and other handling systems.
As part of the multi-year program aimed at safeguarding Italy’s Defence at-sea capacity (known as the «Naval Act»), Fincantieri is currently building seven multi-purpose offshore patrol vessels (PPA) and the «Trieste» Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD). Last March, it delivered the «Vulcano» LSS, a project that was also acquired by the French Navy for the definition of the Flotlog programme, a series of units built in partnership with the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard.
The basic characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their very high level of innovation, which makes them extremely flexible in their various profiles of use with a high degree of efficiency. Most importantly, it will be possible to use these units in a complementary way even for non-military-related activities, such as, for example, supporting civil protection in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Moreover, their environmental impact is low, thanks to advanced low pollution emission generators and electric-drive propulsion motors and biological waste control systems.
LSS – Logistic Support Ship
The LSS is a vessel that provides logistics support to the fleet, endowed with hospital and healthcare capabilities thanks to the presence of a fully equipped hospital of approximately 800 square metres/8,611 square feet, which includes: 2 operating rooms with pre-anaesthesia, a radiology room, a dentist’s office, a gynecological office, 2 emergency rooms, a clinical diagnosis lab and blood bank, an intensive care room, a CT scan room, and a burns room. The ship combines the ability to transport and transfer to other transport vessels liquid cargo (diesel fuel, jet fuel, fresh water) and solid cargo (spare parts, food and ammunitions) and to perform at sea repairs and maintenance work for other vessels. The defence systems are limited to the capacity of command and control in tactical scenarios, communications, and non-lethal dissuasive defence systems. The LSS is also capable of embarking more complex defence systems and becoming a platform for intelligence and electronic warfare systems.
193 metres/633 feet long
Top speed approximately 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
235 persons including crew and specialists
Capacity to supply drinking water to land for approximately 6,000 people
Capacity to provide electricity to land with 2,500 kW of power
Possibility of embarking up to 28 ISO 20 modules, including residential and healthcare modules
Capacity to perform rescues at sea, through recovery and seabed operations (the ship is equipped with two 30-tonne offshore cranes)
Base for rescue operations via 2 helicopters and special vessels (2 RHIBs and 2 tenders) (LSS)
The Logistic Support Ship (LSS) Vulcano (A5335), named after one of the Eolian Islands North of Sicily, had her First Sea Going on 5th December 2019, logging her first nautical miles in the in the Gulf of La Spezia. This step of the programme is a key contractual milestone towards the delivery of the ship to the Italian Navy (FOAR), scheduled for September 2020.
LSS Vulcano (A5335) sets sail for the first time, an outstanding achievement and success for OCCAR, Direzione degli armamenti navali (NAVARM) and the Italian Navy
During the First Sea Going (FSG), several Platform and Combat Systems installed onboard have been tested, especially the propulsion, steering and navigation systems.
Only four years and a half have elapsed since the signature of the LSS contract in May 2015 and the FSG. This is a great achievement for Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement (OCCAR) as contracting authority, given the exceptional challenges to finalize, under extreme time constraints, the reconstruction works of the aft part of the ship, after her launch in June 2018. The LSS Vulcano (A5335) FSG bears witness of the success brought by the combined efforts of OCCAR, Italy as Participating State and Industry.
The Vulcano (A5335) is expected to complete her sea trials by September 2020 and to be delivered to the Italian Navy that same month.
With France joining in January 2019, four more Logistic Support Ships will follow the path of their elder sister Vulcano (A5335), being the first delivery expected by the end of 2022.
The unmistakable outline of the Vulcano (A5335) bridge and aft Replenishment at sea masts
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Length overall
193 m/633.2 feet
Length between perpendiculars
176 m/577.4 feet
Moulded breadth
24 m/78.7 feet
Depth to main deck (deck 1)
16.3 m/53.5 feet
Full load displacement
27,200 t
Transported cargoes
up to 15,500 t
Speed (maximum/cruise)
about 20/16 knots/23/18.4 mph/37/30 km/h
Range at 16 knots
7,000 NM/8,055 miles/12,964 km
Crew + additional personnel
235 people + 13 hospitalized
ENERGY AND PROPULSION SYSTEMS
Propulsion system
COmbined Diesel-eLectric And Diesel (CODLAD) – 2 × DE + 2 EM/2 × Featherable Controllable Pitch Propellers (FCPP)
Generating sets
4 + 2 Shaft generators + 1 Emerg.
HELO CAPABILITIES
Flight deck
for NH90 or EH101
Hangar
for 2 EH101
COMBAT SYSTEM
1 Internal Networking System
1 Combat Management System (CMS)
1 Integrated Int/Ext Communication System
1 Integrated Navigation System
2 Navigation Radars
1 Helo Decking Radar
1 2D Surveillance Radar 2D RAN 21S
1 Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) Interrogator System
1 IFF Transponder System
1 IR Surveillance System (2 turrets)
2 Secondary Caliber Guns – 25 mm
2 Long Range Acoustic Devices
1 Obstacle Avoidance Sonar
1 Diver Detection Sonar
1 Electronic Warfare (EW) System (RESM/CESM – Radar Electronic Support Measures/Communications Electronic Support Measures)*
The launching ceremony of the LSS logistic support unit «Vulcano», took place on June 22, 2018 at the Muggiano (La Spezia) facility of the Naval Integrated shipyard, in the presence of the Italian Minister of Defence, Elisabetta Trenta, who was welcomed by the CEO of Fincantieri Giuseppe Bono and its Chairman Giampiero Massolo. The unit was ordered to Fincantieri within the renewal plan of the Italian Navy’s fleet.
The LSS is the first ship of the Navy renewal plan to touch the sea
The godmother of the ship was Mrs. Maria Teresa Piras, who also was the godmother at the launch of the section of the same unit in Castellammare di Stabia, widow of the lieutenant of vessel Emilio Attramini, who died in the air accident of the Monte Serra.
The ceremony was attended, among others, by the Chief of Defense, General Claudio Graziano, and the Chief of the Navy, Admiral Valter Girardelli.
The multi-year program for the renewal of the Italian Navy’s fleet foresees the construction, besides the LSS, of one transport and landing unit (LHD or Landing Helicopter Dock) – under construction in this same shipyard with delivery in 2022 – as well as seven Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ships (PPA), with other three in option. The launch of the first is scheduled in 2019, with delivery in 2021. The following deliveries will take place in 2022, 2023, 2024 (two units), 2025 and 2026.
The fundamental characteristic common to all three classes of ships is their high level of innovation providing them with a considerable degree of efficiency and flexibility in serving different mission profiles. In particular, these are dual use vessels, meaning that they may be used for both standard military purposes and those in favour of the community (as for example for civil protection), and they also have a low environmental impact thanks to a state-of-the-art auxiliary propulsion system generating a low level of pollution emissions (electric engines).
The vessel «Vulcano» will be classified by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) pursuant international conventions about prevention of pollution regarding the more traditional aspects, like the ones of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Convention, as well as those not yet mandatory, as the Hong Kong Convention about ship recycling.
Vessel’s characteristics – LSS – Logistic Support Ship
The LSS is a vessel that provides logistics support to the fleet, endowed with hospital and healthcare capabilities thanks to the presence of a fully equipped hospital, complete with operating rooms, radiology and analysis rooms, a dentist’s office and hospital rooms that will be capable of hosting up to 17 seriously injured patients. The ship combines capacity to transport and transfer to other transport vessels used for liquids (diesel fuel, jet fuel, fresh water) and solids (emergency spare parts, food and ammunitions) and to perform at sea repairs and maintenance work for other vessels. The defense systems are limited to the capacity of command and control in tactical scenarios, communications and dissuasive, non-lethal defense systems. The vessel is also capable of embarking more complex defence systems and becoming an intelligence and electronic war platform.
Facts
193 meters/633 feet long
speed of about 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
200 persons including crew and specialists
4 replenishment station abeam and 1 astern
Capacity to supply drinking water to land
Capacity to provide electricity to land with 2500 kw of power
Possibility of embarking up to 8 residential and healthcare modules
Capacity to perform rescues at sea, through recovery and seabed operations (the ship is equipped with a 30 tons offshore stabilized crane stabilized)
base for rescue operations through helicopters and special vessels
