Tomorrow, March 28, the San Giorgio and San Marco ships, valuable pieces of the Italian Navy, will dock at the port of Cagliari, Molo Sabaudo. The waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, heading towards Molo Rinascita, will also be crossed by the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship Trieste, the largest military unit built in Italy since the Second World War, which takes over the role of aircraft carrier from Nave Garibaldi, after over 40 years of service. And also the San Giusto, which will dock at Molo Ichnusa. In addition to various cruisers.

Two days of rest and then off to the maxi exercise Mare Aperto 2025, the largest annual training operation of the Defense in the maritime field, planned and conducted by the commander in chief of the Naval Squadron. Sardinia with its polygons (Teulada, Quirra-Perdasdefogu and Capo Frasca) will obviously be at the center of the simulated war theater, with a silent spectator: Vladimir Putin's Russia. An annual setup takes on a particular flavor in this 2025, marred by winds of war that make their breath felt even in Europe.

The operation will involve over 120 vehicles, including naval units, submarines, aircraft, helicopters and unmanned underwater, air and surface vehicles, with the participation of over 6,000 military personnel from eight NATO nations (in addition to Italy: the USA, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece and Turkey) and the presence of observers from 21 foreign navies. For the next three weeks, with the help of members of the Army, Air Force, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza and Harbour Master's Office, crews and operational units of the Navy will train in the central Mediterranean, "facing complex and highly realistic operational scenarios". The exercise, the Defense announced, "involves an intense training program, with particular attention to countering CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) threats in the maritime dimension and their possible repercussions on land".

"The Mare Aperto", explains the Commander in Chief of the Naval Squadron, Admiral Aurelio De Carolis, "is an essential test that periodically tests interoperability and the ability to act in complex and constantly evolving scenarios: a training model whose effectiveness is also recognized internationally, as demonstrated by the presence of numerous foreign units and departments. In this 2025 edition we will focus on further strengthening the readiness and cohesion of the forces to intervene to guarantee maritime security and protect national interests".

Finished? No way: in the window from April 28 to May 31, Joint Stars 2025 will also be held, another major exercise in Sardinia.

We are still waiting for the Coast Guard orders that will prevent regular navigation.

Enrico Fresu

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