In recent days, in various Spanish training areas located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the international amphibious exercise “GRUFLEX 22” (Grupo de la Flota Exercitacion) took part, which was attended by the PTC (Permanent Training Company) of the “Serenissima” lagoon regiment of the Army, inserted within a tactical group, based on the San Marco Marine Brigade (BMSM) and embarked on a ship “San Marco”.
During the exercise, the personnel of the lagoon regiment participated in training activities conducted on board the ship, together with the soldiers of the BMSM and the assault helicopter section.
Of particular relevance were the insertion activities through Fast-Rope from NH90 of the Navy, those of combat in compartmentalized environments inside the Ship and the rehearsal on the procedures of the amphibious combat role.
The beginning of the CET-FIT (Combat Enhancement Training – Force Integration Training) phase of the exercise, saw the lagooners conduct a joint heliport raid with BMSM personnel at the Alvarez polygon in Sotomayor, carrying out the cordon of a town in support of spanish units.
Subsequently, the planning phase for the TACEX (Tactical Exercise) took place with the aim of conducting an amphibious intervention to take possession of a functional strategic industrial infrastructure for the supply of raw materials in neighboring countries.
The planning phase, shared between the lagoon structures and the BMSM, required particular amalgamation and integration between the personnel involved, allowing the consolidation of synergies between the different components of the National Projection Capacity from the Sea (CNPM) and leading the Landing Force to develop a joint maneuver in its Area of Operation.
With the subsequent TACEX, the conduct phase saw the lagoons land jointly with the Spanish Amphibious Units on the jagged oceanic coasts of Sierra del Retin, using GIS landing craft, in synergy with heliport operations, allowing the rapid deployment of forces on the ground and the continuation of land operations, until the full achievement of all the set training objectives.
At the end of the exercise, an After Action Review conducted on the ship “San Marco” during the return journey to the port of Brindisi, allowed to analyze and consolidate the procedures to be implemented by the amphibious assault infantry units of the Italian Army which, together with the “San Marco” Brigade of the Navy, are part of the Projection Force from the sea.
