The multinational maritime exercise Phoenix Express 2024, organized by US Naval Forces Africa, took place from 5 to 15 November off the northern coast of Tunisia and represented an important opportunity for international cooperation between the navies of various countries, including Italy, Algeria, Belgium, Georgia, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United States.
Italy took part in the exercise with a ship Spica, offshore patrol vessel of the class Cassiopeia of the Navy.
The naval units were engaged in maneuvers and scenarios of increasing difficulty with the use of a multinational coordination center to improve information sharing.
The activities included ship inspection operations, search and rescue exercises, maritime surveillance, defense against air and submarine threats, and rescue operations at sea, with the main objective of strengthening both cooperation and interoperability between the naval forces involved, improving the joint response capacity in the field of surveillance and countering illegal activities in the North African areas.
An important moment for the crew of Nave Spica It was the visit on board of the Italian Ambassador to Tunis, Alessandro Prunas, who highlighted how the defense sector is a fundamental pillar of the partnership in one of the most crucial areas for geopolitical stability and for the protection of global trade routes, offering a unique platform for comparison and exchange of expertise.
The closing ceremony was finally presided over by Vice Admiral Jeffrey Anderson, commander of the 6tha United States Navy, who thanked all participants and reiterated how cooperation and exchange of information between navies is essential to ensure the safety of our seas.
