The handover ceremony of command took place yesterday standing NATO maritime group 2 (SNMG2 or Task Group 441.02) on board the Royal Navy destroyer “Duncan”, moored at the Taranto naval base.
In the presence of the NATO chief of staff allied maritime command (MARCOM), Rear Admiral Jose Enrique Delgado, Commodore Paul Stroude, Royal Navy, relinquished command to Rear Admiral Pasquale Esposito.
At the same time, also the role of flag ship of the task group was hired by the Italian frigate “Carlo Bergamini”.
“We are experiencing a period of profound instability, which requires us all to be clear about the role we play in support of the Alliance. Through our presence in our area of responsibility and the activities conducted, we guarantee safe and free access to the opportunities offered by the sea, guaranteeing the security of maritime communication lines and assuming an effective deterrent posture. We must always keep our readiness high, ready to face the broad spectrum of the threat.”
Here are some passages from Rear Admiral Esposito, during his inauguration speech, during which it was underlined how the joint operations of the allied navies testify to the extraordinary effectiveness achieved by military security tools.
Lo standing NATO maritime group 2 was established on May 28, 1969 with the original name of naval on-call force Mediterranean.
It is currently part of NATO's "Noble Shield" operation and the tasks carried out by the naval assets that are part of it include air defense activities, air-maritime presence and surveillance in the Mediterranean, control and monitoring of merchant traffic in transit.
Ship Bergamini it is only the latest of the Italian Navy units to join the SNMG2.
In 2023 alone, the ships took turns Alpine, Carabiniere, Margottini e Thaon of Revel.
The Italian naval assets used in the operation operate, for national aspects, according to the directives of the Joint Forces Operational Command (COVI).
