On Thursday 14 December 2023, in a solemn ceremony held at the Aksaz naval base, in Turkey, the commander of the Italian maritime forces (COMITMARFOR), division admiral Giacinto Sciandra, officially assumed the role of commander of the maritime component commander of NATO Response Force, succeeding command of the Turkish maritime forces (COMTURMARFOR), Admiral Huseyin Tigli.
The event, chaired by the deputy commander of MARCOM, Admiral Didier Maleterre, saw the participation of all counterparts and main actors of the NATO maritime community.
The transition marks the culmination of an intense certification process that began last January and concluded in November with the achievement of full operational capability (Full Operational Capability - FOC).
"Achieving the FOC testifies to the dedication and competence of the personnel of the Italian command and, consequently, of the Navy, this result means that the staff is ready to face the challenges and operational responsibilities in support of allied operations.
The NATO high readiness forces (HRF) and allied reaction forces (ARF) can count on an effective Italian force, ready to be deployed quickly in the event of an emergency or crisis" said Admiral Sciandra during her hiring speech.
During this period, COMITMARFOR conducted a series of complex and demanding NATO exercises, in which its ability to plan and conduct high-intensity air-naval operations in multi-dimensional and multi-threat crisis and conflict scenarios was "tested".
In his speech, Admiral Maleterre congratulated the transferring Admiral for having successfully conducted his first annual commitment as maritime component commander of the NRF and praised the commitment and dedication demonstrated by the Italian Navy during the process certification, underlining the importance of international collaboration in maritime safety.
The passing of the baton underlines Italy's commitment to effectively contributing to maritime security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and the new role gives COMITMARFOR a crucial responsibility in ensuring NATO's readiness and rapid response to possible maritime threats emerging.
In a period in which the complexity of global challenges requires unprecedented cooperation, Italy plays a central role in contributing to security and stability through its key role as maritime component commander of NATO Response Force.
