The San Marco marine brigade trains the Gibutian Coast Guard

(To Marina Militare)
07/08/19

The 31st VBSS Training Module (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) ended in Djibouti on 1 July in "Compliant" (non-hostile) scenarios in favor of Group of Intervention Rapide de la Garde-Cotes (GIRGC) from Gibraltar, started the 13 of the same month and which, for a duration of about 3 weeks, saw the participation of 22 Gibutian soldiers.

Ms Minister of Defense, Elisabetta Trenta, the commander of the Garde-Cotes of Djibouti, Colonel Wais Omar Bogoreh, the commander of the Italian Military Support Base, Captain Liborio Francesco Palombella, and other local political and military authorities.

The VBSS Training Module was conducted by a Mobile Training Team (MTT) of the 2nd San Marco Regiment of the San Marco Marine Brigade, made up of professionals in the sector who, taking advantage of the skills and experience in Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), have planned and conducted specific training concerning the use of the weapons supplied, the conduct of fire exercises at the Artà polygon, operational swimming, tactical movement on board naval units to be inspected, the acquisition the necessary techniques for boarding a merchant ship and its safety and, finally, a static demonstration of the equipment supplied to the 2nd regiment Saint Mark, carried out aboard the frigate Antonio Marceglia.

The development of the Training Module provided the necessary skills to the two boarding teams Gibutians to be able to operate in a coordinated manner on board the cooperating merchant shipping, secure it and proceed with its inspection.

The award ceremony was held at the ceremonial hall of the Coast Guard Base in Doroleh, where the Defense Minister, Elisabetta Trenta, met the instructor and attending staff expressing personal satisfaction for the training that has just ended, and the hope for an ever more fruitful and close collaboration between the Italian Navy and the coast guards from Gibraltar.