The ITALIAN MINEX 2018 exercise ends today, involving nine units of four different nationalities in the waters of eastern Sicily for two weeks. The training activities took place in a scenario that envisaged a high enemy threat simulated by surface units and helicopter assets.
The command of the exercise was entrusted to the commander of the Mine Countermeasure Forces, admiral Davide Berna, boarded on the frigate Euro, designated flag ship exercise.
Two groups of minesweepers took part in the exercise, the first with the unit of the NATO Standing Mine Counter Measure Group 2 (SNMCMG2), under the command of CDR Justin Hains boarded on the English ship Enterprise, consisting of three minesweepers including Italian AlgheroThe turkish Anamur and Spanish Segura; and the second, under the command of the commander of the Fifty-fourth Squadron of Italian Coastal Mountaineers, frigate captain Daniele Di Giacomo, with four ships, three Italians (ship Crotone, ship Termoli of the ship Numana) and the Spanish tambre.
The minesweepers are units equipped with high-tech systems also used for underwater research and removal from the seabed of war devices, as well as for the identification and securing of submerged wrecks and archaeological assets. These activities are aimed at guaranteeing free access to ports and keeping the maritime communication routes open, ensuring the free transit of merchant vessels and the safety of shipping, contributing substantially to the safety of those who work daily and draw from the sea and the sea. fruit of their work.
The exercise also saw the participation of two teams of underwater vehicles, one from Italy and one from the Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), respectively embarked on a ship Numana and on ship Enterprise. The use of these sophisticated autonomous underwater vehicles allows a faithful reproduction of the seabed, identifying submerged objects and guaranteeing their removal without putting the operator at risk.
Returning today to the port of Augusta, the Italian minesweepers will return to the sea in the coming days to reach the base of La Spezia. While the NATO minesweepers will continue their activity in the Mediterranean.
