Final Italian Maestrale-class frigate in active service retires

The last remaining Maestrale-class frigate in active service, ITS Grecale , was formally retired on 1 April 2025 after more than 42 years of service. (Italian Navy)

The last remaining ship of the Italian Navy's Maestrale guided-missile frigate class in active service has been decommissioned, the navy confirmed on 7 April.

ITS Grecale (F 571), which is the second of eight ships in the class, was officially retired from service on 1 April, the Italian Navy said.

Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and entering service between 1982 and 1985, the Maestrale-class frigates were primarily roled for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), while also having anti-air and anti-surface capabilities.

The Italian Navy has been in the process of progressively retiring the class from service since December 2015, starting with the lead ship. Along with the navy's Lupo-class frigates, the Maestrale vessels are being replaced by the Italian Navy's new, considerably larger, Bergamini-class FREMM multimission frigates – the ninth and 10th units of which are due to be commissioned in the coming months.

Grecale was one of four ships in the Maestrale class – together with Libeccio (F 572), Scirocco (F 573), and Zeffiro (F 577) – that were modernised between 2007 and 2010.

Grecale