Marina Militare Italiana (Italian Navy) is one of the four divisions of the military forces of Italy. It was born in 1946, as the Navy of the Italian Republic, from the ashes of the Regia Marina.
The ensign of the Marina Militare is the Italian tricolour with Marina Militare emblem on the white third. The emblem is composed by a shield, whose four parts are reference to Medioeval Italian Thalassoracies (Italian: Repubbliche Marinare):
- 1st quarter: on red, a golden winged lion with St. Mark's Gospel (Republic of Venice);
- 2nd quarter: on white field, red cross (Republic of Genoa);
- 3rd quarter: on blue field, white cross (Republic of Amalfi);
- 4th quarter: on red field, white cross with twelve Medici balls (Republic of Pisa).
The shield has a golden crown, that distinguish military vessels from merchant.
Ships
Currently Active
Audace class
- Ardito (D 550)
- Audace (D 551)
Luigi Durand De la Penne class
- Luigi Durand De la Penne (D 560) (formerly Animoso)
- Francesco Mimbelli (D 561) (formerly Ardimentoso)
- Maestrale (F 570)
- Grecale (F 571)
- Libeccio (F 572)
- Scirocco (F 573)
- Aliseo (F 574)
- Euro (F 575)
- Espero (F 576)
- Zeffiro (F 577)
Minerva class - 1st series
- Minerva (F 551)
- Danaide (F 553)
- Urania (F 552)
- Sfinge (F 554)
Minerva class - 2nd series
- Driade (F 555)
- Chimera (F 556)
- Fenice (F 557)
- Sibilla (F 558)
Training ships
Corsaro class
- Stella Polare (A 5313)
- Corsaro II (A 5316)
Dismissed
Under Construction
- Cavour aircraft carrier: 1 vessel (Cavour), 2007
- Orizzonte class frigater: 2 vessels, to replace destroyers Audace and Ardito, 2007 and 2009
- U212A class submarines: 2 vessels (C.te Salvatore Todaro and Scire'), 2005 and 2006
External links
