The ship arrived in Latvia while in the Baltic Sea for NATO operations. Ambassador Monti visited the ship together with Latvian Defence Minister Sprūds: a sign of attention that reflects the excellent level of Italy-Latvian relations in the field of defence.
Italian Frigate “Antonio Marceglia”, a Class “Bergamini” naval unity of the Italian Nave, was in Riga at the beginning of this week. The ship is part of NATO aerial and naval forces involved in Operation “Brilliant Shield”, aimed at patrolling the Baltic Sea and securing the energy infrastructures located in the area.
Ambassador of Italy to Latvia, Alessandro Monti, visited the ship together with Defence Attaché, Col. Giovanni Trebisonda, Police Attaché, Lt. Col. Stefano Saccocci, and Deputy Head of Mission Federico Palmieri. Ambassador Monti and Commander Antonio Rispoli also welcomed aboard the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Andris Sprūds.
During his visit, Minister Sprūds highlighted the excellent level of relations between Italy and Latvia in the military domain, as proven by numerous collaborations: Italy is part of the eFP Battle Group “Latvia” of NATO with 250 Bersaglieri of the Italian Army, while Italian and Latvian Armed Forces also cooperate at the bilateral level – most recently in Lebanon for the UNIFIL mission. Just few days away from 4th November – the day when Italy celebrates the Armed Forces and its National Unity – Ambassador Monti took the occasion to express gratitude to Commander Rispoli and his crew: men and women in uniform working every day in the interest of peace and international security.
Frigate “Antonio Marceglia”
Frigate “Antonio Marceglia” is the eight unit acquired through the joint Italy-France procurement project named FREMM – European Multi-Mission Frigates. The unit has been built in the Fincantieri naval arsenal in Riva Trigoso and was assembled in the Muggiano dockyards. It is the first ship ever named after Lt. Antonio Marceglia, a Military Gold Medal war hero from the Second World War.
The Frigate’s assigned number is F597. It has a crew of 168 – both men and women. Together with the other naval units from the same class, “Marceglia” is an important naval asset for the Italian Navy and contributes to its duty of ensuring the security of the Italian territory and defending the national interests. Its motto is “Ardisco ad ogni impresa”, which means “I face every challenge with courage”.
Before stopping in Riga, the ship was in the Baltic Sea for some weeks and made port calls in Poland and Denmark. You can learn more about Frigate “Antonio Marceglia” and its characteristics on the official website of the Italian Navy.
