Gruflex 2018 exercise concluded

(To Marina Militare)
07/12/18

GRUFLEX is a highly realistic Spanish air-naval training organized this year with the participation of the Portuguese and Italian Navy to consolidate the already close Italian-Spanish collaboration in the amphibious field.

The SIAF / SILF, born from a common initiative, represents the concrete contribution of the two navies to the safety of the international community in the maritime field. The Navy participated with the amphibious ship San Giusto, two helicopters, EH-101 and MH-90 A, and with a reinforced battalion of the San Marco Marine Brigade on board the San Giusto.

The exercise was divided into two phases: during the first, the Island of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands) was first the subject of an advertisement with airborne troops; subsequently we proceeded to disembark. The men of the San Marco, the first Italian unit to carry out fire activities in the Pàjara shooting range, trained in the use of the various weapons supplied, while the helicopters carried out flight and support activities for amphibious operations, taking off from San Giusto , from the Spanish ships Galicia, Alvaro de Bazan, Santa Maria and from the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I.

After a brief stop on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands), the San Giusto ship left for the Sierra del Retìn polygon (Gulf of Cadiz) to carry out the second part of the training focused on activities mainly related to Counter Insurgency and Counter IED. The fusiliers were disembarked from the San Giusto ship and immersed in a very realistic scenario. The activities were carried out by the personnel of the San Marco Marine Brigade in close cooperation with the fusiliers of the Spanish Brigada de Infanteria de Marina and portions of the Portuguese Navy infantry.
The San Marco Brigade has simulated an assault with AAV7 amphibious tanks and with the helicopters on board, to take control of two tactical objectives on the ground.

The whole activity was characterized by challenging weather conditions, with constant and heavy rains, mud and wind that made the training even more challenging.

This activity demonstrates the full sharing of doctrines and knowledge between Italy and Spain, essential to continue the collaboration between the Departments that for years interact under the banner of the SIAF / SILF.
The exercise GRUFLEX 2018 (Grupo de la Flota Exercitaciòn 2018) took place after the 20th anniversary ceremony of the Spanish Italian Amphibious Force / Spanish Italian Landing Force (SIAF / SILF), which took place on 9 November at the NATO naval base in Rota.