The Sparviero class fast attack hydrofoil was designed in Italy by the Alinavi society, a consortium of the American company Boeing, the Italian government's naval research branch, and Carlo Rodriguez, a Messina-based builder of commercial hydrofoils, based on Boeing's Tucumcari for the US Navy. A prototype, named Sparviero was ordered in 1970 for the Italian Navy, Sparviero was laid down by Alinavi in La Spezia in April 1971, was launched on 9 May 1973 and finally commissioned into Italian navy service on 15 July 1974. The design used the Boeing Jetfoil system, with one hydrofoil forward and two aft, which folded out of the water when cruising. The ship was propelled at high speeds by a Rolls-Royce Proteusgas turbine driving a water jet, while a diesel engine driving a retractable propeller powered the ship at low speeds. The hull and superstructure were constructed entirely of aluminium. As the design was intended for short-range, high speed operations, no sleeping accommodation was fitted. Armament consisted of two Otomatanti-ship missiles aft and a single Oto Melara 76 mm rapid-fire gun forward. It was planned in 1974–1975 to order four more Sparviero class hydrofoils, to be supplemented by at least two larger Pegasus class hydrofoils, but plans for a NATO-wide standardisation on the Pegasus class were abandoned. When orders were finally placed in 1977, they were for six more Sparvieros and no Pegasus class boats. The new ships, built by Fincantieri at Muggiano, entered service from 1982 to 1984, and differed from the prototype in having a more advanced installation for the Otomat missiles and having water injection fitted to the gas turbines. The class proved to be underpowered, and it was hoped to re-engine them with more powerful Alison gas turbines, but these plans were later abandoned. All of the Italian ships have now been decommissioned.
Japan
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force selected a modified version of the Sparviero class as a replacement for its PT 11 class torpedo boats. A license agreement was signed in 1991 to build up to 12 Sparvieros, with the first two approved in FY90 and both were laid down by Sumitomo in Uraga on 25 March 1991. An order for a third boat was delayed to help pay for Japan's contribution to the Gulf War, with it not being laid down until 1993. A request for a fourth boat under the FY 95 budget was rejected, and plans for further hydrofoils abandoned. The Japanese chose different armament than used in the Italian boats, with up to four Type 90 Ship-to-Ship Missiles replacing the Otomats and a non-stabilised 20 mmM61 Vulcanrotary cannon replacing the larger Oto Melara gun. The main powerplant is a General Electric LM500 gas turbine.
Military use
Italian ships have all been decommissioned. The Sparviero class was used by the Japanese coastal patrol forces as a fast attack interceptor.
