Saturday 30 June, will return to Taranto the European multi-mission frigate (FREMM) Alpine Navy, at the conclusion of the campaign in the United States of America.
Upon arrival at the port inside the Mar Grande Naval Station, the ship will be welcomed by the Commander in Chief of the Naval Squadron, team admiral Donato Marzano and family, friends and colleagues of the crew.
Departed from Taranto last May 2, the Alpino ship has provided a qualified and technologically relevant presence in various countries with which Italy has important political-diplomatic, economic and military cooperation relations. The activities carried out in the nearly two months of the campaign are framed, more generally, within the institutional tasks that the Navy ensures to our country and to the community without interruption in all areas of strategic interest, thus guaranteeing a targeted naval presence. to the sea-control, security of commercial communication lines (SLOC), surveillance of national maritime activities, deterrence and contrast to illegal activities on the high seas, international cooperation and training.
The campaign that has just ended can be considered relevant both for having projected the image of the Navy, the Armed Forces and the country system in areas of unusual gravitation and for the support provided to the international competitiveness of important national realities. The important activity that allowed the operational capabilities of the Unit to be shown and made known to delegations composed of members of the United States Congress and officers of the US Navy, as part of the information process for the definition by the US Navy of a new class of frigates (acquisition program called Future Frigate Program FFG (X)) designed to fill the gap capacitive between the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and class units Arleigh Burke.
The maritime projection initiative e naval diplomacy is part of the broader project that aims to “create a system” by integrating the operational capabilities of the crews with modern Italian-made systems on board the Alpino ship, built by FINCANTIERI, sole sponsor and partner of the campaign. The confrontation and joint activities with friendly and allied Marines also allowed the crew to train and strengthen relations with trans-regional allies. The overseas presence was also an opportunity to meet the numerous Italian communities residing abroad and to promote the image of Italy and its excellence, through the organization of cultural events.
Nave Alpino, handed over to the Navy the 30 September 2016, is the fifth unit of the FREMM class and the fourth in the "anti-submarine" version equipped with state-of-the-art and latest generation technological systems.