The container ship MSC Marta and the Offshore Patrol Vessel Borsini of the Navy were the protagonists on June 13 of an anti-piracy exercise about 100 miles off the coast of Monrovia (Liberia); it was the simulation of an attack and the consequent reaction actions of the Italian military vessel for the restoration of security conditions.
The merchant unit has raised the alarm, relating to the attempt to take control of the MSC Marta by a group of pirates, alla multi-domain operations center of the Navy located in Santa Rosa - Rome at the command in chief of the naval squad (CINCNAV); at that point Ship Borsini, employed nearby for the operation Gabiniaclosed the distance with the container ship and sent a team of specialists from the marine brigade on board by helicopter Saint Mark who secured the freighter by taking control of it. The action conducted with extreme realism would have made it possible to thwart the attack by the pirates, allowing normal commercial operations to resume after the reclamation.
The exercise falls within the context of the activities carried out periodically by the Navy in support of shipowner companies and aimed at maritime safety. In this case the activity was carried out in collaboration between the Navy, the MSC and Assarmatori.
The Navy is in fact at the forefront of the international scenario to guarantee maritime safety and safeguard the freedom of navigation along the vital lines of communication on the sea, especially in contexts that are particularly at risk, such as the Gulf of Guinea.
"This type of exercises is certainly nothing new, the collaboration relationship between CINCNAV (Command in Chief of the Naval Squadron based in Rome), Assarmatori and the shipping companies operating in the area is now at a truly high level – is the comment of the Shipping Association – These operations are of great importance for the protection of the crews of Italian ships and the cargo on routes at risk. Fundamental in these activities is the training of the crews and the role played by the Italian Navy, precious and irreplaceable above all for the protection of human lives. The Gulf of Guinea is one of the areas considered the 'hottest' from this point of view, but also thanks to this type of activity and the constant presence and surveillance of these waters, the number of attacks has decreased in the last period”.
