ITS Alpino arrives in Norfolk
The Italian FREMM frigate Alpino is scheduled to arrive at Baltimore (USA) on 27 May. The ship will be moored at Pier Under Armour, where she will stay until 30 May.
On Monday 28 May, on occasion of the Memorial Day, the holiday in which the United States of America pay homage and honour to the American soldiers fallen in all wars, a mass will be celebrated onboard, with the participation of a delegation of the local Italian community.
On Wednesday 30 May, at 10.00 local time, the Frigate’s commanding officer, Commander Davide Da Pozzo, will hold a press conference onboard, in order to present the ship and the 2018 Campaign in North America.
ITS Alpino – delivered to the Italian Navy on 30 September 2016 – is the fifth FREMM frigate and the fourth in ASW version. The ship is equipped with latest cutting-edge technologies. This overseas Campaign, along with joint activities and exchange with friendly and allied navies, provides a valuable training opportunity to maintain high levels of cooperation and to strengthen relations with trans-regional allies. ITS Alpino will ensure a qualified – and technologically relevant – presence in a number of countries with which Italy maintains significant political, diplomatic and economic relations, and conducts military cooperation activities. Activities will be conducted in the broader framework of the institutional tasks which the Italian Navy seamlessly executes to the benefit of our country and national community in all strategic areas, ensuring permanent naval presence aimed at providing sea-control, security of sea lines of communication (SLOC), surveillance of national maritime activities, deterrence and fight against illegal activities on the high seas, as well as promoting international cooperation and training.
The significance of this Campaign lies on the opportunity, on one hand, to project the image of the Italian Navy, the Armed Forces and country system in unusual areas, and, on the other hand, to provide support to major national industries in terms of international competitiveness. In this framework, a special effort will be made to showcase and highlight the Unit’s operational capabilities to delegations composed of members of the United States Congress and US Navy officers within the information process aimed at the definition by the US Navy of a new class of frigates (US acquisition programme called Future Frigate Program FFG(X), aimed at filling the capability gap between the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the Arleigh Burke-Class DDGs). This initiative of maritime projection and naval diplomacy is part of a broader project aimed at “teaming up”, by integrating the crew’s operational capabilities with the modern Italian manufacturing systems embarked onboard ITS Alpino, built by the FINCANTIERI shipbuilding group, sole sponsor and partner of this Campaign.
This overseas Campaign also provides an opportunity to meet the numerous Italian communities residing abroad, and includes the organization of cultural events aimed at promoting the image of
Italy and its excellences.
During her port call, ITS Alpino will be open to the public on the following dates/times:
Sunday 27 May: 15.00 – 18.00
Monday 28 May: 15.00 – 18.00
Wednesday 30 May: 10.00 – 12.00
Focus:
ITS Alpino – commanded by Commander Davide Da Pozzo – is a frigate of the FREMM (MultiMission
European Frigate) Italo-French programme. Built in the Fincantieri shipyard in Riva Trigoso
(GE), the ship was launched on 13 December 2014 and delivered to the Italian Navy on 30
September 2016. On 9 June 2017, ITS Alpino was assigned her battle flag in Civitavecchia.
Identified by the hull number F 594, according to the NATO classification, this latest generation
frigate features state-of-the-art technologies which make her suitable for multimission
deployment.
ITS Alpino (F594) – the fifth Italian FREMM frigate, and the fourth in ASW (Anti-Submarine
Warfare) version – embarks a crew of 168 (male and female), almost half in comparison with older
frigates, and is able to provide accommodation for 200 command staff, including a special forces
team and a qualified team to operate two medium-heavy helicopters. ITS Alpino has a
displacement of 6,700 t and can reach a speed of 27 kt thanks to a CODLAG hybrid propulsion
system (1 gas turbine and 2 electric motors) enabling low consumption and long range.
