Italy assumes command of the amphibious force and Italian-Spanish landing

09/07/15

After two years of Spanish command, the 7 July, aboard the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, moored at the naval base of Rota (Spain) took place the ceremony of passing of 'witness' between Spain and Italy, for the Command of the Amphibious Force italo-pagnola (Spanish / Italian Amphibious Force SIAF) and the Italo-pagnola Landing Force (Spanish / Italian Landing Force SILF).

The change took place with the symbolic exchange of the SIAF-SILF banner between the Spanish Admiral Antonio Martorell who was replaced by Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo as commander of the Amphibious Force, and between Brigadier General Javier Marine Hertfelder who surrendered the command of the Landing Force to Admiral Rosario Walter Guerrisi.

The SIAF-SILF, established in the 1996, is the result of a common initiative by the two nations and represents the concrete contribution of the two Marines to the security of the international community. The aim is to compete, within the European and NATO, with the multinational forces to which Italy and Spain adhere, to common defense missions, to operations to support peace and humanitarian assistance. The SIAF can also act to implement the resolutions of the United Nations and the OSCE.

The force is composed of a naval component, called SIAF, responsible for the boarding, protection and transport to the amphibious target area, while the barco component, called SILF, is responsible for the land component landing and the support of the ground operations. The Navy, as part of the natural shift between nations, will remain in command until 2017.

At the ceremony were Admiral Santiago Bolíbar Piñeiro and Admiral Filippo Maria Foffi, respectively commanders of the Spanish Navy Squadron (ALFLOT) and Italian (CINCNAV).