Cassiopea

The Cassiopea, also known as part of the Costellazioni class, is an Italian Navy offshore patrol vessel type. The Italian Navy describes the class as able to operate autonomously or with air and naval assets in Italy's Exclusive Economic Zone. Its development reflects the naval need for ships below frigate size that can handle surveillance, patrol, pollution response, and migration or security operations.

The class is designed for offshore patrol rather than high-end fleet combat. It provides endurance, command space, small-boat and helicopter cooperation, and enough armament for constabulary or low-intensity naval tasks. This makes the ships useful for everyday maritime governance, even though they lack the air-defense, anti-submarine, or missile-strike depth of larger warships.

In service, Cassiopea-type vessels have performed the kinds of missions that navies do constantly but that often receive less attention than combat deployments. The Italian Navy notes Cassiopea's role in Gulf War patrols, antipollution operations, and migration-flow patrols. That practical record makes the class a good example of naval utility beyond missile and gun specifications.