Italy was represented by the frigate captain Antonino Catalano and the vessel lieutenant Biagio Martella, who participated, the first as an integral part of the White Cell conducting the exercise from the Naval Tactical Training Center at Callao (Lima) and the second as part of the crew of the Peruvian frigate Villavisencio (FM-52), a unit similar to the former Wolf class, but built in Peru.
UNITAS, which means "UNITY" in Latin, is a multinational naval exercise that takes place annually since 1960. It is the multinational exercise that has been taking place for more time in the world and in which the US Navy and other marinas from Latin America and the Caribbean participate.
Originally focused on anti-submarine issues - during the Cold War - nowadays it mainly looks at cooperation, mutual understanding and twinning among the participating marinas in order to develop common techniques and procedures suitable to face any eventuality at sea or type of maritime operations.
Moreover, this exercise represents a unique opportunity to improve the capacities and cooperation relationships between the naval forces of the north, south and central America, promoting the "emiferaion coalition", from which the motto of the exercise "Solidaridad Hemisferica - Defensa Hemispheric ".
The United States is the main promoter of this exercise, but the nations of Latin America play the role of host nation in rotation with the aim of improving regional security and promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South regions America.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the exercise were held in the presence of Admiral Cesar Linares, commander of the Peruvian naval surface forces and representatives of the US Naval Forces Southern Command and US 4th Fleet, who thanked all the navies intervened, renewing the invitation to participate in the 2015 edition which will take place in two phases, the Pacific phase in Chilean waters and the Atlantic phase in Brazilian waters.
Source: Military Navy
