Last June 25 from the port of Taranto, today the Expero Navy frigate reached the port of Souda, on the Greek island of Crete, to participate in NATO's Sea Guardian Operation.
The Navy Unit, after a phase of integration and training with the other allied ships, will leave the Greek port on June 29, to begin the patrolling operations in the Eastern Mediterranean under the operational control of Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood .
Established after the 2016 July NATO Summit in Warsaw, Operation Sea Guardian continues the activities of the previous Active Endeavor operation, set up in response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. Sea Guardian is a highly flexible operation that is able to provide a wide range of operational maritime security tasks including the surveillance of maritime spatial interests (Maritime Situational Awareness) and the fight against maritime terrorism, while ensuring training in favor of of the security forces of the riparian countries (Maritime Security Capacity-Building). In addition to these activities, the naval forces assigned to the operation can exercise maritime interdiction, protection of freedom of navigation, protection of sensitive maritime infrastructures and the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The Espero frigate, under the command of the frigate captain Alberto Fiorentino, is a missile and anti submarine unit belonging to the Mistral Class. The ship was launched in Riva Trigoso, the 19 November 1983 was launched and 4 May 1985 entered service. The ship has a crew of about 160 men and women, including the specialized teams of the Marina San Marco Brigade and the military component of the Navy with an embarked AB212 helicopter.
The ship will remain in the NATO naval group until the next 17 July.