Following eight months of maintenance, the Horizon Class ITS Andrea DORIA’s antenna has finally been safely re-installed on board. The antenna of the Horizon Class destroyer ITS ANDREA DORIA has spent eight months at Thales Netherlands (TNL) undergoing preventative maintenance, as part of the S1850M Long Range Radar major overhaul. The antenna was dismounted in May 2023 and then sent to TNL premises in Hengelo (NL) to undergo various maintenance activities. At the end of the maintenance process, the antenna was shipped back to Taranto where, despite the severe weather conditions, it arrived on 15 January 2024, accessing the arsenal early in the early morning through the Swing Bridge. The antenna was finally mounted on board the following day on 16 January 2024.
Maintenance activities were performed through the use of FSAF/PAAMS In-Service Support Contracts, which saw the involvement and support of TNL as well as local industrial stakeholders coordinated by TSNI. Through the implementation of OCCAR-led contracts, it was possible to maintain expected maintenance schedule therefore allowing ITS DORIA to progress with her subsequent technical stops, meeting the Italian Navy’s expectations and timescales. The Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) is a joint programme developed by France, Italy, and the United Kingdom for an integrated anti-aircraft warfare system. The prime contractor is EUROPAAMS, a joint venture between Eurosam (66%) and UKAMS (33%). In the United Kingdom, PAAMS has been given the designation Sea Viper.
The S1850M is a long-range radar with a digital antenna array for wide area search in elevation. The S1850M is manufactured by Thales and BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies (formerly AMS UK). It is a modified version of the Thales Nederland SMART-L radar. The S1850M is advertised as being capable of fully automatic detection, track initiation, and tracking of up to 1,000 targets at a range of 400 kilometres (250 mi). It is also claimed to be highly capable of detecting stealth targets, and able to detect and track outer atmosphere objects at short range, enabling it to form part of a Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence system.
Andrea Doria is a destroyer of the Italian Navy. She and her sister Caio Duilio form the Andrea Doria class; in turn these two ships, and the French vessels Forbin and Chevalier Paul, belong to the Horizon class. Andrea Doria has the hull number D 553 according to NATO classification. Andrea Doria is a multirole ship, with a bias towards anti-aircraft warfare (the ship has an increased capacity in this type of warfare over older destroyers) and short and medium defence range capabilities. She is also highly capable in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Andrea Doria is able to cover a broad spectrum of maritime activities, ranging from high-intensity military operations to maritime security operations.
