Mediterranean Sea. The Mare Aperto 22 (MA22), the largest training event of the Italian Navy, began on May 3rd. In the next three weeks more than 4,000 women and men from 7 NATO nations and over 65 ships, submarines, aircraft and helicopters, will operate between the Adriatic, the Ionian, the Tyrrhenian and the Strait of Sicily developing activities that will also affect the surrounding maritime territories thanks to the projection capabilities on land expressed by the amphibious component on board.
Several Italian Air Force aircraft also take part in the exercise, including Eurofighter fighters, F35B STOVL which will operate from Nave Cavour and CAEW G550 command and control assets and for refueling in flight KC-767A.
The activity, directed by the Command in Chief of the Naval Team embarked on Nave Cavour, will involve the Staff of the San Marco Marine Brigade and those of the various Naval Divisions in which the operational organization of the Italian Navy is divided.
The forces in the field will be exercised in the maritime domain, whose characteristics are also developed in the air and land contexts, and in the innovative ones of space and cyber-security, simulating high-intensity and rapidly changing scenarios through which to verify the ability to intervene in various areas, from the prevention and contrast of illicit trafficking, the fight against conventional and asymmetric threats, according to a realistic scenario with an approach centered on the concept of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and exploring new combinations of use of the assigned forces.
These include the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO), being studied in the US Navy, to extend the range of action of maritime forces and thus control strategic sea areas.
The strong “projection connotation” of the exercise will be supported by the presence of a landing force composed of over 350 riflemen of the San Marco Marine Brigade integrated by a company of Lagunari of the Italian Army and two of the Landing Force of the Spanish Navy.
Similar to previous editions, mare Aperto 2022 sees the participation of university students, this year 42 from 11 different universities: the University of Bari, the University of Genoa, the Free International University of Social Studies (LUISS) of Rome, the University for Foreigners of Siena, the Sant’Anna University of Pisa, the Federico II University of Naples, the University of Trieste, La Sapienza University of Rome, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna and Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan.
Accompanying students and teachers are integrated into the staff embarked on the units of the Naval Team and, depending on their course of study, they will compete in different roles, including those of political advisor, legal advisor and public information officer, as well as being able to deal with damage prevention and control systems, propulsion and elements of naval architecture with a high level of technology.
In the broader context of strengthening ties with the national maritime cluster, the Shipowners’ Confederation (Confitarma), the Centre for Geopolitics and Maritime Strategy (CESMAR), the Volunteer Nurses of the Italian Red Cross and belonging to the Sovereign Order of Malta will also take part in the exercise.
Among the main objectives of the exercise are also the continuation of the campaign to develop the capabilities of the new 5th generation F-35 B aircraft, preparatory to the achievement of the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2024, and the integration process with the other Armed Forces and with foreign Navies. The exercise will end on May 27th.