Minerva-class corvette

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Urania at Málaga in 2001
Class overview
Name	Minerva class
Builders	Fincantieri
Operators	Italian Navy (retired)  Bangladesh Coast Guard (active)
In commission	1987
Completed	8
Active	4 (as OPV)
Retired	4
General characteristics
Type	Corvette
Displacement	1,285 t (1,265 long tons) full load
Length	87 m (285 ft) LOA
Beam	10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught	3.2–4.8 m (10–16 ft)
Depth	5.5 m (18 ft)
Propulsion	- 2 x shaft - 2 x Diesel engines Grandi Motori Trieste GMT BM-230.20 DVM outputting 11.000 hp (8.203 kW) - 4 x diesel engine generators Isotta Fraschini ID-36-SS-12V, 2.600 kW (3.487 hp), with Ansaldo MXR 400 M6Z electric generators
Speed	25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	7 officers, 113 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	- 1 x Selenia AA/ASu-Radar SPS-774 (RAN 10S) E/F Band - 1 x SMA SPS-728 Navigation radar - 1 x Selenia Fire control SPG-75 (RTN 30X) for Albatros and 76mm - 1 x Sonar Raythron/Elsag DE-1167 - CMS Selenia IPN-10 (Mini-SADOC), Link 11 - ASW AN/SLQ-25 Nixie
Electronic warfare & decoys	- ESM/ECM Selenia SLQ-747 (INS-3) - 2 x Wallop Defence Systems Barricade decoy launchers
Armament	- 1 x OTO Melara 76 mm Gun - 2 x OTO Melara 25/80 guns with Oerlikon KBA 25mm - 1 x Sea Sparrow or Selenia Aspide in an 8-cell launcher - 2 × triple 324 mm TLS ASW torpedoes - 4 heavy machine guns

The Minerva class is a series of corvettes of the Italian Navy. They were built in two batches of four units during the 1980s and 1990s. The ships have fairly good speed and armament, including a 76 mm general-purpose gun, but, due to their emphasis on anti-submarine warfare, they lack anti-ship missile capabilities. These units are designed to operate in coastal areas. Their main missions include sea policing, patrol, fisheries protection, and naval commando training. Four ships of this class are now active with Bangladesh Coast Guard as offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).