A little less than a week after the last minesweeper flag was dropped Lerici e Sapri, held in La Spezia, the Navy "dismissed", this morning in Taranto with a solemn ceremony, another unit, the team patrol Grenadier which, after thirty years of activity, is thus canceled from the roles of the military shipping. An act that is part of the process of downsizing the ships of the Naval Squad of the Armed Force.
The exit from the scene of the Grenadier - that after the deposition of the fighting flag he crossed for the last time, with his crew on board and escorted by ship Euro, the swing bridge of Taranto, from Mar Grande to Mar Piccolo, greeted melancholy by a crowd - was the occasion for the Chief of Staff of the Navy, team admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, to open a window on the future and on renewal programs: "This ship gloriously leaves the scene and will be followed over the next two years by Mistral, From 'Aviere, from Danaide, From 'Urania, from Fenice, from Sphinx, from Driade, from Chimera, From 'I hope"he said in his speech at the ceremony, stressing at the same time that" the government and parliament wanted to proceed urgently with a measure to start the renewal of the fleet with the so-called Naval Law. A program that involves a huge investment that will allow the construction of ten new patrol vessels, an amphibious vessel, a refueling ship and two support for underwater operations.
All eco-sustainable ships. Investing in navalmeccanica - he added - means that for every euro invested there is a return multiplier of 3.6, by far the most profitable investment in the military world for the community. A general return for the country's economy. Because if we think of an investment of 6 billion, about 2 billion and 8 return in taxes and various contributions to the state in addition to the failure to resort to layoffs. As you know, our shipbuilding industry is currently committed to 50% of its potential ''.
Ships for the Navy, but also projects for Taranto and its arsenal: “We will open it more and more to the public so that it becomes a driving force for investment. Our basins are important pieces of a strategy that sees the Navy becoming more and more a driving force for safety and economic well-being. Our Minister of Defense has been very committed and is working at the forefront from this point of view as well as the government that launched this great ambitious operation to relaunch the city of Taranto and we want to be protagonists of this operation.
With Minister Franceschini we have already initiated a close collaboration with our minister to open the arsenals to cultural paths, the arsenal of Taranto has wonderful historical and architectural contents, has fascinating environmental views ".
In giving your farewell to the ship Grenadier, the commander, frigate captain Mario D'Autilio, wanted to thank his crew who "until the last few days have worked to keep the unit efficient".
