It took place on Tuesday 30 June, aboard the frigate Virginio Fasan in port in Rota, Spain, the handover between commanders of the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), NATO's second permanent naval group.
Rear Admiral Paolo Fantoni, of the Navy, handed over the command to the captain of the Spanish Navy, Manuel Aguirre Aldereguía. Rear Admiral Fantoni had assumed command of the force in December last year.
The handover took place in front of a reduced representation of crews, in compliance with government regulations related to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.
During the period of the Italian Command of SNMG2, 13 units were part of the Naval Group, coming from the Navies of Bulgaria, Canada, France, Greece, Romania and Turkey, in addition to the frigate Carabiniere and Virginio Fasan, which took place in the role of ships flag.
The naval group was employed in the Mediterranean and Black Seas for a total of 173 sea days, carrying out high-speed maritime patrols and ensuring a constant presence in the area of operations and supporting the NATO operation Sea Guardian (OSG), in monitoring the sea lines of communication, vital for our country, helping to maintain the necessary level of maritime safety in these strategic areas. In addition, a separate Task Unit, also part of SNMG2, operated permanently in the Aegean Sea.
"Our mission began with the important interaction in Tunisia, part of the NATO Partnership for Peace Planning and Review Process (PARP), and with participation in the international exercise Dynamic Manta 20" summarized Rear Admiral Fantoni "Despite the difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced us to take measures to ensure that our operational capacity remained unaltered, SNMG2 actively contributed to supporting NATO's Maritime Situational Awareness and ensuring security and freedom. navigation. "
