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2017-06-08

ITS Carabiniere: Neutralizing submarine threats

The unique frigate is also capable of a wide range of civilian and defence tasks

By Sakha Pramod

Designed and built by Fincantieri, the largest shipbuilder in Europe, ITS Carabiniere is the jewel in the crown of Italian Navy. A new generation frigate, she is fitted with cutting edge sensors and weapons, but is also able to perform civilian tasks. Carabiniere is a ship specialized in hunting submarines but being a Multi Mission frigate, she has advanced passive and active sonar sensors. As part of the South-East Asia and Australia naval campaign that started from Italy last 20th December, ITS Carabiniere touched many ports such as Jeddah, Colombo, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Jakarta, Singapore, Langkawi , Muscat, Kuwait City, Manama, and Doha. When ITS Carabiniere docked at Abu Dhabi during May 8-12, Nation Shield spoke to Commander Francesco Pagnotta about the frigate’s mission, unique capabilities and her current naval campaign. Excerpts:

ITS Carabiniere was delivered to the Italian Navy in 2015. To what extent do this antisubmarine ship and other ships in the same category strengthen the Italian Navy?

Thanks to her modern equipment, the frigate Carabiniere is one of the jewels of the Italian technology, able to be deployed in many different operational scenarios. She is a new generation frigate, fitted with cutting edge sensors and weapons, but she is also able to perform civilian tasks. This Unit is capable to be deployed for interdiction of illegal commerce, prevention and control of human trafficking, protection of the Sea Lines of Communication, action against hostile warship and humanitarian operation in case of natural disaster. After her delivery to the Italian Navy fleet, ITS Carabiniere carried out an advanced training period, and afterwards from October 2015 to March 2016 she took part as flagship of the Task Force 465 in “EUNAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA” , the European counter piracy operation in the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, on August 2016 she was employed in support of “Active Endeavour”, a counter terrorism operation in the Mediterranean Sea. These activities witness the readiness and flexibility of these units that will become in a few years the backbone of the Italian Navy Fleet.

What is so special about the state of the art combat system fitted on ITS Carabiniere?

Carabiniere is a ship specialized in hunting submarines but being a Multi Mission frigate, it has advanced passive and active sonar sensors, which grant the detection of a submarine at a greater distance. She has the only active low-frequency variable-depth sonar in service with NATO forces.

With the modern multifunctional radar, she boasts precise maritime situation awareness, discovering multiple threats such surface and air targets and share all the data with other units of the fleet and headquarters ashore. Furthermore, she has advanced communication capabilities, used when accomplishing the role of Flag Ship, embarking staff personnel and an Admiral, as she has done last year during Atalanta Operation when the Commander of Task Force 465 was embarked with other 20 people, managing the movement of a fleet disposed in the whole of Indian Ocean directly from the Carabiniere’s Command Planning Room.

Where is it being currently deployed and to what objective?

ITS Carabiniere is currently deployed in the South-East Asia and Australia naval campaign that has been extended to the Gulf Area for an additional month.

Her main tasks are respectively to guarantee presence and surveillance in areas where Italian units are not usually deployed but even though far away from Italy still strategic for our national interests, to cooperate with all navies met during the deployment either ashore or underway, to accomplish naval diplomacy tasks, which means bring the Italian flag abroad, and finally to promote the Italian entrepreneurial excellences that are sponsoring this activity as well as being the constructor and the provider of all the systems embarked. Moreover, ITS Carabiniere was designed and built by Italy’s Fincantieri, the largest shipbuilder in Europe. Fincantieri is one of the three short listed shipyards for the new Australia naval program “Sea 5000”. Australia Navy in the next years will commission 9 new frigates similar to our FREMM project and is looking for the best companies to accomplish that. Carabiniere sailed there to show the product to Australian Navy observers and governor advisors.

Can you give us some details of the South-East Asia and Australia naval campaign that started from Italy last 20th December?

The Campaign started from La Spezia on 20th of December and so far we have touched the ports of Jeddah, Colombo, Fremantle, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Jakarta, Singapore, Langkawi - taking part in LIMA ‘17-, Karachi, Muscat, Kuwait City, Manama (Bahrain), Doha and Dammam before Abu Dhabi. Subsequently, the ship will stop in Djibouti before returning to Civitavecchia where, on 9th of June, she will be given the “combat flag” that means she will be formally combat ready.

In the whole deployment, the frigate sailed for 27.000 nautical miles, more than a complete round trip all over the world.

What are the main themes of the naval campaign of which ITS Carabiniere is a part?

The Campaign is a precious opportunity to promote the “Italy-System” in all its features. That means working in close cooperation with our diplomatic authorities and commercial partners to promote in a very wider and comprehensive way the’ Made in Italy’ concept, strengthening the international relationship with strategic countries as well as hosting on board the Italian communities we encountered during our port visits.

Of course we cooperated also taking part in major exercise (as we have widely done in Australia during the Ocean Explorer exercise) and joint activities with the combatant units we met either in the open ocean or leaving each port.

Which major defense companies are supporting this deployment?

The deployment has been organized with the support of Fincantieri (lead sponsor), Leonardo, MBDA Italia, Elettronica, Telespazio and DRASS. We also have two Media Partners: RTV San Marino and RAI Italia.

What is the “blue growth” concept you intend to highlight?

The maritime sector in this century is fundamental for the global economy. Ninety percent of commercial traffic is distributed through the sea and, in the last decade, 75 percent of countries all over the world improved their maritime capacities. This highlights the importance to protect the freedom of the sea and the safety of navigation.

Italy is greatly dependent on the sea: our country has 8.000 km of coastline, has the 4th big merchant fleet in Europe, is the first passenger ship fleet of the world and 80 percent of her petrol and 42 percent of gas is transported through the sea. In this complex and dynamic global scenario affected by many threats, navies must take a pivot role to protect the sea lines of communication, the choke points and the entering area of ports.

What are the objectives of this tour?

The Carabiniere mission is aimed at ensuring a presence, maritime surveillance, to strengthen the cooperation activities already underway with some trans-regional allies and initiate relationships with new potential partners, as part of the institutional tasks entrusted to the Armed Forces.

During its tour, besides dialoguing and cooperation activities, the Carabiniere was also committed to carrying out joint training activities with local Navies, as well as Maritime Capacity Building, giving the campaign an important significance in the field of assistance and humanitarian support. In addition, one of the Carabiniere’s objectives is the promotion of Italian excellence, through the organisation of social and cultural events, and the promotion of Italy’s image abroad, in collaboration with national diplomatic missions in the stop-off countries.

During the Abu dhabi port visit, the ship hosted a workshop offered by commercial partners to the UAE Navy personnel and local industries belonging to the defense sector.

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