09/07/2015 - After two years of Spanish command, on 7 July, on board the aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I, moored at the naval base of Rota (Spain), the ceremony of the passing of the 'baton' between Spain and Italy was held for the Force Command Anfibia italo-pagnola (Spanish / Italian Amphibious Force - SIAF) and the Italo-pagnola Landing Force (Spanish / Italian Landing Force - SILF).

The change took place with the symbolic exchange of the SIAF-SILF banner between the Spanish Admiral Antonio Martorell who was replaced by Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo as commander of the Amphibious Force, and between Brigadier General Javier Marine Hertfelder who surrendered the command of the Landing Force to Admiral Rosario Walter Guerrisi.

The SIAF-SILF, established in the 1996, is the result of a common initiative by the two nations and represents the concrete contribution of the two Marines to the security of the international community. The aim is to compete, within the European and NATO, with the multinational forces to which Italy and Spain adhere, to common defense missions, to operations to support peace and humanitarian assistance. The SIAF can also act to implement the resolutions of the United Nations and the OSCE.

The force is composed of a naval component, called SIAF, responsible for the boarding, protection and transport to the amphibious target area, while the barco component, called SILF, is responsible for the land component landing and the support of the ground operations. The Navy, as part of the natural shift between nations, will remain in command until 2017.

At the ceremony were Admiral Santiago Bolíbar Piñeiro and Admiral Filippo Maria Foffi, respectively commanders of the Spanish Navy Squadron (ALFLOT) and Italian (CINCNAV).

Source: Military Navy