After three months of operations in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, as part of Operation Gabinia, Ship Foscari returned to the port of Augusta.
Led by frigate captain Giampietro Lungarella, the "Comandanti" class patrol vessel carried out its surveillance mission in the waters of the gulf to protect commercial routes and national interests in contrast to the phenomenon of maritime piracy.
Second Lieutenant Mirko Nocifora, navigator of the unit, recounts his experience:
“It was undoubtedly a demanding mission for all the crew in a stretch of sea of uncommon location for our units. The crew also worked masterfully in unknown waters and ports, navigating tortuous waters such as those of the Estuaire du Gabon, the narrow Canal de Vridi and, finally, entering the port of Lagos (Nigeria) via the Commodores Channel and Badagry Creek.
This mission has enriched us in many ways. The visit to the St. Bakhita School Complex Atua Magna in Ghana allowed us to get to know the school children who, intrigued by our presence and abandoned all forms of shyness, left the school desks to run towards us and hug us. Very strong emotions for the crew members who, with enthusiasm, set to work to restore the lighting systems of the classrooms, managing to give, at the end of the day, an admiring gaze of amazement to the students, grateful for that artificial light which would finally allow him to be able to study even in the evening".
A mission within the mission of Nave Foscari in the Gulf of Guinea which has merged the operational commitment with the humanitarian one also through the delivery of medical equipment, donated by the Rava NPH Italia Onlus Foundation to the representative of the management of the Akanda Military Hospital in Libreville (Gabon).
During the mission, Ship Foscari it has also carried out an intense training activity with the navies of the coastal countries and with the foreign air-naval assets present in the Gulf of Guinea. The main objective was to enhance cooperation and interoperability with foreign partners to promote, through joint activities, the safeguarding of free trade and navigation in the area. The stops in port also represented important opportunities to weave a network of contacts with the Italian and local political and military authorities, who expressed great appreciation for the work carried out by the unit and underlined the importance of the presence of the Navy along the African coasts.
