History
The ship was laid down on 16 May 1958, was launched on 22 December 1962, and commissioned on 30 November 1964.
The ship was assigned to the 2° Gruppo Navale d’Altura (2nd High Seas Naval Group) of the II Divisione Navale (2nd Naval Division), based in Taranto. In the 1980s she was transferred to La Spezia, while her twin, the Andrea Doria, moved from there to Taranto.
During the late 1970s, Caio Duilio was upgraded to carry the improved SM-1ER Standard missile, with improved radars and sonar also being fitted.
In 1979–1980, Caio Duilio was converted to a training cruiser to replace the old Capitani Romani class cruiser San Giorgio. The ship's original hangar was turned into classrooms and additional accommodation, with a new, smaller, hangar being built on the forward part on the helicopter deck, reducing the ship's aviation capacity to two helicopters. The aft two 76 mm guns were also removed, together with their associated fire control radars.
Caio Duilio was decommissioned on 15 December 1989, stricken on 19 July 1991 and sold for scrap on 31 December 1992.
Read more about this topic: Italian Cruiser Caio Duilio (C554)
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