The Navy continues its commitment to combat maritime piracy in defense of merchant traffic which is vital for the country's economy
Indian Ocean. From today, 17 March, the Carabiniere ship is assigned to the European Union mission EUNAVFOR Somalia - Operation “Atalanta”, in charge of the area between the southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Somali basin. The mission for the Italian frigate will end next August.
For the ninth time the command of Operation Atalanta will be entrusted to an admiral officer of the Navy, Rear Admiral Luca Pasquale Esposito. Under his command, the European air and naval task force of which the Carabiniere will play the role of headquarters ship (flagship), will ensure patrolling in the areas of interest and in the transit corridors of merchant units and the fight against piracy, cooperating with the other maritime forces present in the area.
The "Atalanta" operation, decided by the European Council in November 2008, was the first European-led maritime military operation, born with the aim of preventing and suppressing acts of piracy in the Horn of Africa area. (Gulf of Aden and Somali basin) which continue to represent a latent threat to the freedom of navigation of merchant traffic and in particular to the transport of humanitarian aid from the World Food Program (WFP) in Somalia and Yemen.
Departing from the port of Taranto on Sunday 14 March under the command of frigate captain Alessandro De Lucia, the ship and its crew will also be engaged in Civilian and Military Cooperation (CiMIC) activities, to provide support and basic necessities to local populations in difficulty respecting the anti-COVID restrictions in force.
Further Reading:
Atalanta operation - Operation "Atalanta", established by the European Council in November 2008, was the first European military initiative of a maritime nature aimed at preventing and combating acts of piracy in the Horn of Africa (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Somali basin), to protect the freedom of navigation of merchant traffic and in particular to protect the ships used by the World Food Program (WFP) for the transport of humanitarian aid in Somalia.
Carabine Ship - Fourth unit of the Italian-French FREMM program (European Multi Mission Frigate) and the third of the Class in anti-submarine version (FREMM ASW). It was launched on 29 March 2014 at the Riva Trigoso shipyard (GE) and delivered to the Navy on 28 April 2015. It has a crew of 168 men and women, 145 meters in length and a full load displacement of 6.700 tons. .
Carabiniere ship a new generation frigate characterized by the possibility of use in various operational contexts. Its detection capabilities and armament make it suitable for operations of surveillance and interdiction of illicit trafficking, prevention and control of illegal immigration, specific activities of Sea Control and protection of the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) and maritime interdiction operations. (MIO), contrast to the threat of hostile shipping with particular regard to the anti-submarine fight, humanitarian assistance and competitions in the event of natural disasters.
The versatility of a Carabiniere ship is also guaranteed by the weapon systems supplied such as the MFRA (Multifunctional RADAR Active) active air detection radar, integrated with the SAAM-ESD (Surface to Anti Air Missile - Extended Self Defense) anti-aircraft missile system, consisting of a battery of two vertical Sylver A-50 launchers capable of housing 16 Aster-type missiles. As regards the specific antisubmarine function, in addition to the hull sonar systems common to the GP (General Purpose) version of the FREMM Class, the unit is equipped with a variable depth sonar (VDS), active and low frequency, Thales 4249.
Carabiniere ship is designed to embark also a medium-heavy helicopter component, specifically EH-101 and SH-90 (usable both in anti-ship and anti-submarine role), aircraft with superior performance and autonomy compared to the previous generation vehicles that allow for wider surveillance stretches of sea and to intervene in shorter times at greater distances in carrying out the assigned missions. In addition to its primary function, the naval unit also embarks a rigid keel boat and a 7-meter rhib, for operations with the boarding team on board.