Even a regional threat, such as piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, can have repercussions on a global level, and this is the principle behind the presence of Nave Martinengo in this region, the area most affected by the phenomenon today. In order for the work to combat piracy to have concrete and lasting results, however, collaboration with the countries bordering the gulf is essential. For this reason, in addition to the law enforcement activity at sea, of which Nave Martinengo has been a protagonist in recent weeks, it is essential to establish solid relationships with the regional navies and contribute to their training. With these purposes, therefore, within the Nave mission Martinengo in the Gulf of Guinea, a joint training event was organized with the Nigerian Navy, the most developed in the region and the only one capable of expressing its ability to intervene at a great distance from the coast. Four patrol units from the Western Maritime Department based in Lagos took part in the exercise, which took place over 3 days.
During the activity, numerous close maneuvers were carried out in formation between the units, communication exercises, also with flashes of light, and various maritime security scenarios focused on combating the phenomenon of piracy, both against merchant units and against installations offshore oil. During these exercises the Nigerian units employed their own boarding teams who conducted the boarding maneuvers under the competent supervision of the Opposed Boarding Team of the San Marco marine brigade embarked on the Italian frigate.
In one of these exercise scenarios, an offshore oil installation managed by ENI Nigeria was also involved which, following a report on a possible attack sent by Nave Martinengo, has activated its internal security procedures in order to verify their effectiveness.
The last day of activity, Ship Martinengo accompanied the four Nigerian patrol boats to the outskirts of Lagos, where another unit was waiting for her with the Nigeria Defense Officer and representatives of the local press on board. The activity therefore concluded with the traditional but significant rendering of honors among the participating units.
