JEDDAH, 16 May 2008 — A two-ship Italian naval group paid a three-day courtesy visit to Jeddah this week. The group, commanded by Capt. Giorgio Gomma, consisted of Italian Navy’s first Logistic Support ship the ITS Etna and the offshore patrol vessel ITS Comandante Borsini. The group was returning to its home port of Tarranto after a four-month plus tour of duty in the Gulf, Arabian Sea and the Somali Basin.

“Our tour of duty was part of Operation MEDAL,” said Gomma. He explained that MEDAL was an ongoing plan whose primary objective was to meet and foster cooperation with other navies operating in “the wider Mediterranean sea.”

Other aspects of the tour were to demonstrate the newest and most advanced ships of the Italian navy and to form part of a continuing presence on the seas of the Middle East and Northeast African waters with the aim of deterring piracy or other illegal activities.

The Etna, whose motto is “tenacious everywhere,” is essentially a supply and support ship. Nonetheless it also provides security to Italian and international commercial shipping in the sometimes hazardous trade routes in the area it patrols. “Just by being there, a military ship in the area provides a level of security to commercial shipping,” said Gomma.

The Etna monitors all the radio channels and if a ship is approached by what are determined as pirates in high speed craft, she responds. As the pirates also monitor the same frequencies to locate prey, when they learn very quickly that there is a military ship in the area they are usually deterred. “We have launched our helicopter on occasions to provide support to threatened ships,” Gomma said.

During the Etna’s visit, one of only five in the last 20 years or so, divers cross trained with personnel from the Royal Saudi Navy (RSN) and carried out underwater inspections and routine maintenance on the ship. The officers from the ship made contact with colleagues in the RSN and renewed long standing acquaintanceships.

Part of the visit was devoted to hosting a visit by pupils from the Italian school in Jeddah and an on-board reception for members of the local Italian, Saudi and invitees from expatriate communities.

The two ships leave Jeddah Islamic Port today for Aqaba in Jordan and then for a final stopover in Alexandria.

“Unfortunately we were only here in Jeddah for three days,” commented Gomma, “But I do hope we will have the opportunity to return soon.”