On Tuesday 5 September the Spanish supplier Cantabria, headquarters of the sea command of Operation EUNAVFORMED Sophia, refueled the frigate Alpine, headquarters of the operation command Safe Sea. The operations of refueling and logistical replenishment will allow to ship Alpine to extend their stay in the operations area and have been a training opportunity for the crews of both units.
During the refueling, Rear Admiral Enrico Pacioni, commander of the operation Safe Sea, met with Javier Moreno Susanna, commander of the naval device of the operation Sophia.
The meeting allowed the two operational commanders to exchange views on the scenario and on coordination at sea between the two operations which, although different in terms of mandate and objectives, are intrinsically linked. Among the other topics, the importance of continuing with the mutual exchange of information, the need to support and support the Libyan Coast Guard and the Navy in the fight against illicit maritime traffic, and the will to intensify, at every favorable occasion, the interaction between the two naval groups.
The operation Safe sea, active since March 12 2015, provides for the presence at sea of an air-naval device with the task of carrying out, in application of national legislation and current international agreements, activities of presence, surveillance and maritime safety in the central Mediterranean, in order to protect the multiple national interests - exposed to increasing risks deriving from the presence of extremist entities - and to ensure consistent levels of maritime safety.
The device, which operates in an area of sea, approximately 160.000 square km wide, located in the central Mediterranean and facing the Libyan coasts, uses around 700 men and women belonging to the crews of the engaged units daily around the sea.
