With the return of the offshore patrol vessel Commander Borsini last December 18 in Augusta the presence of the Navy in the Gulf of Guinea ends for 2022, a presence which however will resume soon, as early as January 2023.
To contribute to the achievement of the objectives set by theOperation Gabinia, first of all the contrast to the phenomenon of piracy, were the frigates Rizzo e Marceglia and the offshore patrol vessel Commander Borsini, which alternated in three different rotations, reaching over 230 days of navigation and covering more than 40.000 nautical miles.
The interventions in the area carried out by the various units were effective, such as that of Nave Borsini in the last period to the rescue of the tanker B. OCEAN (with the flag of the Marshall Islands) left adrift, about 300 miles from the coast, after being attacked by a group of pirates, or, the actions performed by the frigate Luigi Rizzo in the month of April, in order to dissuade the pirates from persisting in the illicit activity perpetrated against the merchant ship “Arch Gabriel” (Marshall Islands).
The Navy has thus guaranteed the presence and surveillance in an area considered among the most dangerous in the world for navigation due to the growing number of piracy attacks against maritime merchant traffic but, at the same time, of vital strategic importance for the country and for international trade.
During the mission, the Navy units conducted cooperation activities with the local and allied Navies present in the region, with the aim of increasing the level of cooperation with the Navies of the coastal countries.
The various exercises developed with the national shipowning companies, whose merchant ships often ply the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, have made it possible to achieve new standards of interoperability and have helped to raise the level of security in the region.
A 360-degree commitment carried out by the men and women of the Navy, who have worked in this area also in support of important collaborative projects of significant social and humanitarian value, in support of associations such as the Francesca Rava Foundation NPH Italia Onlus . Collaborations which, also thanks to the support of the Italian diplomatic authorities, have allowed the supply of medical equipment for some African hospitals.
