On October 22, 2022 in the Gulf of Guinea, twenty miles off the coast of Ghana, a training activity was carried out that involved the ship Antonio Marceglia, engaged in the “Gabinia” Operation of presence and surveillance to protect the maritime cluster, and the Motor Vessel MSC Marta of the Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., affiliated to Assarmatori , the trade association of the shipping sector.
The exercise to combat piracy was started through the alarm given by the imposing portacontaier, which reported the presence of a small boat with armed personnel on board proceeding at high speed and with threatening kinematics. The Italian frigate, following the receipt of the activation, headed towards the action scene by launching the SH-90 organic helicopter in flight so as to be able to make a Surface Picture through the use of Amphibious Sharpshooters (TSA). Once the absence of any suspicious targets near the freighter was verified, the Opposed Device of the San Marco Marine Brigade carried out the intervention to implement the Visit Boarding Search and Seizure (VBSS) procedures.
The Boarding Team of the Italian Navy Fusiliers specifically implemented the infiltration by barbettone, making a descent on the left wing of the MSC Marta dashboard, a platform of the size of a few square meters, from a height of about 20 meters. The same, following the reclamation, were recovered on board the SH-90; This phase turns out to be very delicate as the rotary wing trim had to maintain Hover’s position for several minutes at a close distance from the merchant dashboard.
The exercise allowed to put into practice both the simulated activation of the alarm chain of the MSC Marta and the implementation of the procedures of the Ship Security Plan, and the prompt reaction of the Italian Navy Unit in reaching the scene of action and deploying the specialized teams for the safety of the merchant ship. The training activity testifies not only to the high level of synergy consolidated between the Italian Armed Forces and the National Shipowners, but also to the importance of guaranteeing the presence of a naval unit in a context, the Gulf of Guinea, of significant importance for the protection of national interests.
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