Italian ship Etna (A 5326)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Etna (A 5326) is an Italian Navy support ship designed to feed, water, and supply other ships at sea. She is the only Italian vessel of the Etna class; a sister ship named Prometheus was built in Greece and joined the Hellenic Navy in 2003. Etna was ordered in 1995, built at the Riva Trigoso shipyard, launched in 1997, and entered service in 1998.

Key facts about Etna:
- Displacement: about 13,400 tons
- Length: 146 meters, Beam: 21 meters, Draft: 7.5 meters
- Propulsion: two diesel engines with two propellers
- Speed and range: maximum 21 knots; range 7,600 nautical miles at 18 knots
- Armament: two small 25 mm guns for light defense
- Aircraft: flight deck for one helicopter and a hangar for an AW-101 class helicopter
- Roles: refuel ships at sea, provide fresh water, carry cargo (fuel, water, and supplies for other ships)
- Capacity: up to 5,795 tons of diesel fuel, 1,585 tons of aviation fuel, 160 tons of fresh water, and space for up to 12 containers (about 2,000 m3 of solid goods)

Etna features several radar and communications systems to support its mission. In March 2011, she took part in NATO operations off Libya as part of Unified Protector. As of 2023, Etna was planned for a life-extension refit ahead of a planned replacement by the newer Vulcano-class logistic ships.