It took place today in Augusta on the frigate Fasan the ceremony of changing the command of the operation Safe Sea in the presence of the commander in chief of the naval squad admiral Filippo Maria Foffi.
Rear Admiral Alberto Maffeis hands over command of the operation to Rear Admiral Placido Torresi.
Admiral Maffeis passes the deliveries after three months, during which 18 were the Navy ships that took turns, with an average daily presence at sea of about 950 soldiers and over 21.300 the people rescued
The operation Safe Sea was launched by the government following the worsening of the Libyan crisis. Since 12 March 2015, an air-naval device was deployed at sea with the mission to carry out, in application of national legislation and international agreements in force, activities of presence, surveillance and maritime security in the central Mediterranean, in order to ensure the protection of national interests.
The task of the operation Safe Sea, in light of the aggravation of the terrorist threat, is to strengthen what is already in place by the Navy ships operating in the central Mediterranean in order to ensure the protection of national interests through the protection of communication lines, of commercial ships , the Italian fishing fleet and strategic energy sources of national interest and the surveillance of jihadist formations.
Furthermore, the presence of Navy ships on the high seas provides a safety framework for all vessels engaged in search and rescue (SAR) activities, particularly those of the Port Authorities.
