Admiral Valter Girardelli Chief of Naval Staff, Italian Navy

摘要

Over the past decade, the operational tempo of the Italian Navy has increased considerably, Admiral Valter Girardelli, the service's chief of naval staff, told Jane's. "Italy's geographical location in the Mediterranean has placed it on the frontline of threats coming from the south, generated by the failure of several states in the Sahel, North Africa and the Middle East," he said. "Events such as the turmoil in Syria and Libya have presented critical challenges to maritime security. As such, the Italian Navy is spearheading maritime security efforts such as Operation 'Sophia' and Operation 'Sea Guard' and permanently contributing assets to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 [SNMG2] and Standing NATO Mine Coun-termeasures Group 2 [SNMCMG 2]."