On the days of 16 and 17 May the frigate Alpine and units of the US Navy USS Gonzalez and USNS Medgar Evers conducted training activities for their respective crews. In particular, on the afternoon of the 16th, a simulated boarding of a merchant ship suspected of illicit trafficking was conducted, simulated by the USS Gonzalez.
The activity, conducted by the ship boarding team Alpine, supported by the brigade's specialist team Saint Mark, was preceded by a meeting with the similar American team, in which the experiences were exchanged and the respective tactics and procedures were compared. Once on board the USS Gonzalez, the ship team Alpine, carried out tactical movements and control procedures. On the same day an exchange of personnel was carried out which allowed a rate of the two crews to visit and compare the two units.
On the 17th, in a thick fog, the activity continued with the refueling at sea, carried out with the American auxiliary unit USNS Medgar Evers. Following were carried out kinematics maneuvers close at high speed between Alpine e Gonzalez, for the benefit of younger officers, to increase their maneuvering skills. The activity, as a whole, has contributed to strengthening the links and interoperability between the two Navies operating side by side in numerous operational theaters.
The 18 May Nave Alpine moored in Norfolk, the first stop of the campaign in North America 2018, where it will remain until May 24, and then set sail for Baltimore.
The dislocation of the frigate Alpine it is part of the cooperation and training activities that the Navy conducts with the allied and friendly nations, to promote interoperability among the Marine and to support multinational cooperation and dialogue between countries. At the same time, this activity guarantees a qualified and technologically significant presence in countries with which Italy has important political-diplomatic, economic and military cooperation activities.
The campaign is also an important opportunity to promote the “Italian System” in an integrated way, flanking and supporting the great representatives of the national industry and also strengthening ties with Italian communities living abroad.
