​These noble flags, which have always waved onboard the two corvettes throughout their operational life at the service of our country, were handed over by the two units’ last Commanding Officer, lieutenant Fausto Marletta, to Vice Admiral Filippo Maria Foffi,  Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet. The two ensigns, enshrined in their coffers, will be kept in the National Flags Memorial museum at the Altar of the Fatherland, in Rome.

In his address, lieutenant Marletta said that, throughout their service life, Corvettes Urania and Danaide sailed a total distance equalling 36 circumnavigations of the globe, mostly deployed in missions of coastal patrol and surveillance, operating in support of the Naval Command School and conducting international cooperation activities with other Mediterranean Navies. He also thanked all the former and latest crews of the two ships  “for what they did and how they did it, interpreting the most noble traditions of the Italian Navy”, as well as “all my predecessors as Commanding Officers, whom I thank for being here today to share with me the deep feelings binding us to these wonderful vessels, which we will always keep in our hearts”.

Later on, Admiral Foffi began his speech saying that “in this solemn ceremony, we pay our grateful homage to Corvettes Danaide and Urania, which, through their silent and diligent daily work, have served our Nation and during recent years were active protagonists of the history of our Navy and, in a broader sense, of our Country in the Mediterranean area. For this reason, their decommissioning will not go unnoticed. As of today, the Italian Navy and Italy have lost other two precious sentries in the Mediterranean basin”. He continued, “the removal from service of these two naval units, following recently decommissioned Corvettes Minerva and Sibilla and other Maestrale-Class Frigates, is a signal of the constant downsizing of the Italian Fleet, envisaging for the next years the decommissioning of most of the ships currently in active service”.

“Such a negative trend”, said Admiral Foffi, “will be partially mitigated by the implementation of the first phase of the fleet renewal programme, which is already well underway. This process, envisioning the construction of ten innovative Patrol Vessels (PPA, or Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ships), an Amphibious Ship and a Logistic Support Unit – financed by recent extraordinary Governmental funding approved by the Parliament – has equally a positive impact on the Italian economy, boosting our national shipbuilding industry".

Admiral Foffi concluded his speech “hoping to see in the future new wonderful ships sail the seas again, as the Minerva-Class Corvettes steadfastly did”, and thanking again “the crews and all Commanding Officers of these two glorious naval units”.
ITS Urania and ITS Danaide will be stricken off the Italian Naval Vessel Register on March 31 2016, and they will consequently be transferred to Fincantieri for refurbishment, in order to be, at a later stage, sold to Bangladesh Coast Guard.