The frigate Luigi Rizzo, engaged in presence and surveillance activities in the Gulf of Guinea, intervened yesterday following a piracy attack.
The vessel, at the end of a joint exercise with a Spanish Navy unit, was carrying out a patrol off the coast of Nigeria when it received the notice of an ongoing pirate attack against a cargo ship about 100 nautical miles away . Nave Rizzo then headed at full speed to the location of the event, immediately sending his helicopter to support the threatened unit.
Contacted by radio, the commander of the merchant, flying the Greek flag, said he had undergone an attempted boarding by a small fast boat with armed men on board. These intentions were unsuccessful and the pirate boat left for the coast.
Ship Rizzo continues to monitor the area by ensuring, with its presence, an effective deterrent effect in the context of the Navy's wider commitment to safeguarding freedom of navigation and maritime safety in areas of national interest.
