In the presence of the Minister of Defense Roberta Pinotti and, representing the Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Claudio Graziano, of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Squad Adm. Valter Girardelli, the launching ceremony of the frigate took place today at the Riva Trigoso plant of the integrated military shipyard "Antonio Marceglia", eighth of a series of XMMUM FREMM units - Multi-Mission European Frigates, commissioned to Fincantieri by the Italian Navy as part of the Italian-French international cooperation agreement, with the coordination of OCCAR, the joint organization for European cooperation in armaments.
Godmother of the launch was Mrs. Silvia Marceglia, nephew of the Gold Medal for Valor Militare Antonio Marceglia.
The President is doing the honors Giampiero Massolo and the CEO of Fincantieri Giuseppe Bond who have accepted John Toti, President of the Liguria Region, as well as numerous civil and religious authorities.
Following the launch, the unit will continue the set-up activities at the Muggiano plant in La Spezia, and will be delivered in the 2019. Ship "Antonio Marceglia" will be characterized, like the others, by a high flexibility of use and will have the ability to operate in all tactical situations. It has a length of 144 meters, a width of 19,7 meters and a displacement at full load of about 6.700 tons. It will be able to reach a speed higher than 27 nodes with a maximum capacity of transported personnel equal to 200 people.
The FREMM program, which represents the state of the art of Italian and European defense, arises from the need to renew the line of the Navy units of the Lupo class (already radiated) and Mistral (close to reaching the operating life limit), built by Fincantieri in the seventies.
During the 2013 "Carlo Bergamini" and "Virginio Fasan" were delivered, in the 2014 "Carlo Margottini", in the 2015 "Carabiniere", in the 2016 "Alpino" and in the 2017 "Luigi Rizzo". With the exercise of the option, in April 2015, for the construction of the ninth and tenth units, whose delivery is scheduled after the 2020, the Italian program was fully implemented.
The initiative sees participation as a member prime contractor for Italy by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri, 49% Leonardo) and for France by Armaris (Naval Group + Thales).
This cooperation has capitalized on the positive experience of the previous Italian-French "Orizzonte" program which led to the creation of two destroyers for the Italian Navy, the "Andrea Doria" and the "Caio Duilio".
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Antonio MARCEGLIA Captain of the Naval Engineers
Gold Medal for Military Valor
"Officer of the highest value, after having devoted all his forces to a dangerous and exhausting period of training, he took part in an expedition of underwater assault vehicles that forced one of the most powerful and defensive enemy naval bases, with an action in whose operational conception and practical execution harmonized beautifully with the cold courage and self-sacrifice of men. After having advanced several miles under water and overcoming difficulties and obstacles of all kinds, he placed the charge under an opposing battleship and, after destroying the apparatus, took land on enemy soil where he was taken prisoner, not before, however , to have seen the full success of his action. A bright example of conscious heroism and a high spirit of sacrifice, it was worthy of the glorious traditions of the Italian Navy. Not satisfied with this, once returned to the Navy after the armistice, he again offered himself for the preparation and execution of other operations ". Alexandria, 18 - 19 December 1941
The 28 July 1915 was born in Piran (Pola). A pupil of the Naval Academy in the Corps of Naval Engineers from 1933, in December 1938 obtained the appointment as a Lieutenant of Naval Engineers and, after graduating with honors in the same year at the University of Genoa, he obtained the promotion to Lieutenant. Destined first at the Autonomous Maritime Military Command of the Upper Adriatic, then embarked on submarines and, at the declaration of war of 10 1940 in June, was boarded on the submarine Ruggiero Settimo, with which he participated in three missions in the Mediterranean. In October, 1940, upon request, passed into the Assault Means Group and after hard training participated in two missions against the British naval base of Gibraltar (May and September 1941). Promoted Captain GN in January 1941, in December of the same year he participated in the daring mission of forcing the port of Alexandria - conducted in the night from 18 to 19 December, in the assignment of 1 ° operator of the special 223 (2 ° operator Palombaro Spartaco Schergat) - which culminated in the sinking of two English battleships (Valiant and Queen Elizabeth) and the Sagona oil tanker and the damage of the British destroyer Jervis. After the successful action against the battleship Queen Elizabeth, he was taken prisoner to the camp for prisoners of war n. 321, in Palestine, so he was transferred to India. Repatriated in February 1944, he participated in the war of liberation with the Assault Means, completing a war mission in Italy occupied by the Germans. Placed on leave, on request, in December 1945 and registered in the Role of the complement with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel GN, he assumed the direction of a shipyard in Venice. Lieutenant Colonel GN Antonio Marceglia died in Venice on 13 July 1992.
Other decorations and awards for war merit:
- Silver Medal for Military Valor on the Field (Gibraltar, May 1941);
- War Cross for Military Valor in the Field (Gibraltar, September 1941);
- Promotion to Major Naval Engineers (1941).
