Durand de la Penne left service in October 2024, more than three decades after both ships commissioned in 1993. Francesco Mimbelli remained in service when the video was recorded. Their combat systems were not Aegis, yet the Italian Navy regarded them as capable air-defence ships. Before the Horizon class entered service, they were the fleet's leading assets in that role. Their long careers show that the early 1990s design remained useful for decades.
Notable Point · 5:21-6:35
Three decades as Italy's leading air-defence destroyers
Commissioned in 1993, the two non-Aegis ships served for more than three decades and led the Italian Navy's air defence before the Horizon class arrived.