12/06/2015 - Yesterday Nave Libeccio took over from Nave Grecale in Operation Atalanta, the European mission to combat piracy in the waters of the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean. Nave Grecale has left the waters of the Red Sea to return to the naval base of La Spezia after 4 months of activity.

The unit, under the command of the frigate captain Onofrio Marco Frumusa, from last February 17 had become part of the device of the EUNAVFOR Task Force 465 with a crew of about 220 soldiers, after a period of specific preparation for anti-piracy operations at the Aero-Naval Training Center of the Navy in Taranto.

In the 114 days of the mission, of which 90 spent at sea and 24 in port (Salalah, Antsiranana, Muscat, Duqm and Djibouti), Grecale Ship traveled 18.070 nautical miles in 2.120 hours of motion and carrying 10 side supplies with US Navy units , Australian and English. During this period, merchant 1000s were audited in support of the maritime commercial traffic organizations. In fact, the fight against piracy is crucial for ensuring the safety of the seas, without which the world economy would be affected, as well as the actual flow of humanitarian aid, as well as the establishment of that basic stability condition for local development.

Fifty "Friendly Approach" activities were also carried out with small fishing and typical boats dhow operating near Somalia and in the Indian Ocean, to develop a better knowledge of the European mission and collaboration against the phenomenon of piracy, providing medical and technical assistance on several occasions. A tugboat (Tug ALAA) adrift in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Oman was also witnessed; cooperation and training activities (Local Maritime Capacity Building) in favor of the Navy Omanita and the Malgascia Navy; 153 flight hours with the SH212 helicopter on board.

Last but not least, the cooperation between the local community and the local community support activities was also beneficial to the Djibouti Hospital Infant Nursing Department, which provided basic but necessary diagnostic tools, and a hospital and an orphanage Antsiranana in Madagascar.

Source: Major State Defense