On Tuesday 18 March 2025, Rear Admiral Massimo Bonu, Commander of the First Naval Division, handed over tactical command of theOperation Safe Mediterranean (OMS) to Rear Admiral Alberto Tarabotto, Commander of the Fourth Naval Division. To sanction his changeover, during the ceremony held on board the ship Carlo Margottini (flagship of the operation), moored at the naval base of Augusta (SR), Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, commander in chief of the naval fleet and of the European Maritime Force, via video link for the occasion.
In the 39 days of activity (from February 7th to March 17th), "in a context in which the Mediterranean is witnessing profound changes – Rear Admiral Bonu stressed in his farewell speech – the national device has shown its ability to adapt and its high strategic value by operating without interruption for the control of the Seas that are among our main national interests. All these results have been possible thanks to careful planning and a prudent use of resources, aimed at optimizing the periods of permanence at sea with those of recovery of operational capabilities in port. My heartfelt thanks go to the real actors of this rotation, the commanders and crews of the units that have been employed at sea, facing adverse weather conditions, with tenacity and uncommon seafaring skills, to successfully complete all the tasks assigned with results well beyond the best expectations, a sign of the high professionalism that distinguishes our crews''.
During the 20th rotation WHO - through an agile maneuver scheme -, seabed surveillance activities continued regularly, in correspondence with national critical infrastructures. At the same time, control and monitoring operations were conducted on national fishing vessels and merchant vessels, contributing to strengthening maritime safety and performing an effective deterrent function against illicit activities on the high seas.
Admiral De Carolis, appreciating the work done by the embarked staff, wanted to recognize Admiral Bonu as "has immediately grasped the spirit of his role as holder of complex command in the broader context of the naval team and how he is interpreting it well in line with the directives. Among the results of this rotation I would like to mention the participation of Nave Margottini in the Dynamic Manta exercise in which we did very well operating within NATO and at the same time maintaining its role as flagship of Operation Mediterraneo Sicuro, a refined alchemy of command and control that we have conceived and created".
