Taranto, the Amphibious Force of the Italian Navy conducts Training Exercise "Phibex"

3 February 2016 10.00

The Italian Navy forces participating in the exercise included two amphibious ships, ITS San Giusto and ITS San Marco, the Assault Battalion of the San Marco Marine Brigade, and naval air assets specialised in amphibious assault, involving nearly 700 men and women, 250 of the landing force, 320 crew members of the two ships, and about a hundred pilots, technicians and aviation warfare system operators of the various Navy air components.

The planning phase and transfer of the amphibious task force were followed by the air and seaborne amphibious raid, using helicopters, amphibious equipment and assault boats.

In order to provide more realistic training, the exercise planning team introduced some events of increasing difficulty during the various phases of the exercise, triggering the reactions of the multiple components of the amphibious task force, which reached their climax with the execution of an amphibious withdrawal onboard ITS San Marco.

This exercise has been the first air-sea training event for the Italian Navy in 2016, providing realistic and effective amphibious training to different naval components. Amphibious operations are highly topical in current scenarios, which may require the conduct of manifold seaborne operations, including disaster relief operations to provide support to civil populations in coastal areas, operations in crisis areas, noncombatant evacuation operations (NEOs), up to high intensity combat missions.

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