Security: new exercise in the Tyrrhenian Sea for the Eco Adriatica

On 25 October, as part of the Italian Navy training cycle "Dynamic Mariner 23 - Mare Aperto 23-2", the Grimaldi Group ro-ro ship Eco Adriatica took part in a joint maritime security exercise in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

For the first time, the training activity involved military personnel from both Italy and an allied country. The exercise highlighted the great professionalism of all the participants, both military and civilian: the Italian Navy frigate ITS Bergamini, the flagship of the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR); the French Navy frigate FS Provence; the Italian Shipowners’ Association Confitarma; the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) of the Allied Maritime Command (the command of the NATO naval forces); the Multi-domain Marine Operations Centre of the Naval Squadron Command-in-Chief; the Italian Coast Guard Operations Centre, the national authority in charge of maritime security; and, of course, the Grimaldi Group.

The crew of the ship Eco Adriatica, sailing in the Tyrrhenian Sea from Salerno to Cagliari, simulated the discovery on board of ten stowaways, armed with knives, who were threatening to hijack the ship. All the relevant security measures were implemented immediately: the crew mustered in the citadel, blocking their path by securing all the internal doors, and reported the security incident to the Coast Guard Operations Centre.

Upon receiving the alarm, the Operations Centre informed the Navy which, in turn, shared the information with the International Maritime Bureau and the NATO Shipping Centre in order to acquire useful details for handling the crisis situation. At the same time, having been informed of the emergency by the ship, the Grimaldi Group Company Security Officer liaised with the Coast Guard to check the crew list and the ship's plans.

Following exchanges of information between the Coast Guard, Navy and NSC, the Italian frigate Bergamini was sent to the scene; having intercepted the merchant vessel, with the assistance of the French frigate Provence, the Bergamini conducted the boarding and embarkation of an inspection team on board by means of a RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat). Meanwhile, the Coast Guard simulated sending its own aircraft and naval vessels to the area concerned.

Once on board, the inspection team ascertained that the stowaways did not constitute a risk for the safety of the ship and headed towards the citadel to free the crew, who were thus able to regain full control of the vessel.

The exercise once again confirmed the strong synergy between the Italian Navy, the Coast Guard, Confitarma and shipping companies, which was made even more effective thanks to the support of NATO and EUROMARFOR. Furthermore, the vast expertise of the Grimaldi Group Company Security Officer emerged, as did that of the Master and crew of the vessel Eco Adriatica; this is a reflection of the attention that the company devotes to emergency response training for its human resources.