The Andrea Doria class were helicopter cruisers of the Italian Navy. Italy's first major new designs of the post–World War II era, these ships were primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare tasks. The two ships that were constructed, and served until 1991 in both active and training capacities. A planned third ship, Enrico Dandolo (C555), was cancelled in favor of the larger follow-on class.
Design
Ordered in the 1957-58 Naval Programme, the Andrea Doria class were designed to operate the RIM-2 Terrier surface-to-air missile (SAM) system and Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters as both a platform for anti-air and anti-submarine warfare. The hull was based on the , with a length of and an enlarged beam to allow for the installation of a flight deck and hangar, measuring . The vessels had a draught of and displaced 5,000 tons standard and 6,500 tons loaded.
The flight deck measured and was placed aft of the superstructure. It was cantilevered out at the stern to provide extra operational space. This gave the cruisers a maximum speed of and an operating range of at .