On 7 February 2025, the handover ceremony of the tactical command of the operation took place on the flight deck of the FREMM ASW Alpino, moored in Augusta. Safe Mediterranean (WHO).
Rear Admiral Gianguido Manganaro, commander of the Mine Countermeasure Forces, has handed over the prestigious and demanding role of tactical commander at sea of the OMS device to Rear Admiral Massimo Bonu, commander of the first naval division.
The ceremony was presided over by video link by Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, commander in chief of the naval fleet and of the European Maritime ForceThe event was also attended by the staff and crews of Nave Alpine of the Ship Margottini, who have taken turns in the role of flagship of the operation.
This rotation had a particular significance: in addition to the usual coordination of the assets employed to guarantee maritime security in the area of national interest, the staff and the flagship were deployed for the first time outside the area of operation, in the Red Sea, to escort the ship. Amerigo Vespucci, after almost two years of navigation outside the Mediterranean waters. An operation within the operation, called “Stingray", which was conducted successfully, and allowed the safe transit of the oldest ship of the Navy through the treacherous waters of the Strait of Bab el Mandeb and the Red Sea, as underlined by Admiral De Carolis.
During the months of tactical command, the OMS continued to ensure its tasks in the waters closest to the peninsula, effectively continuing the control of the gas pipelines with the minesweeper. Chioggia - as part of the operation Safe backdrops -, and fishing surveillance, with the commitment of patrollers Cassiopeia e Orione.
Also significant are the interactions with the naval units of the US, Turkish, French and Greek Navy, present in the areas of operation. These relationships, combined with the activities of naval diplomacy, confirm the role of the Navy units as versatile and deployable tools, in support of Italian diplomacy in the world.
Finally, during the OMS rotation, activities were carried out in collaboration with civilian ships of strategic national interest, such as the Saipem 10000 and the merchantman Green Joker.
This concludes the 19th rotation of the operation Safe Mediterranean, with satisfaction for the results achieved. Now the baton passes to the new staff and to Nave Margottini, new flagship, ready to continue the mission with the same commitment and determination, facing the challenges that await them at sea.
