The Italian Navy’s expeditionary vocation in the 1990s

31 March 2021 09.00

With the worsening of the Somali social and political crisis, in order to carry out the decisions of the Security Council, a Joint Multinational Task Force was created to complete the United Nations operation in Somalia. The mandate was the evacuation of the UN contingent deployed on the territory to ensure disarmament of militias and promote the establishment of a new government, and now no longer able to operate safely, since the outbreak of the civil war.

Italy participated in this operation from January to March 1995, within a coalition of air and naval forces including 20 naval units from 6 countries (France, Great Britain, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan and United States), which was formed to support the evacuation and deployed to the Indian Ocean.

At national level, the 26th Naval Group was created, including aircraft carrier Garibaldi, amphibious assault ships ITS San Giorgio and ITS San Marco, replenishment ship ITS Stromboli and frigate ITS Libeccio – and deployed to the eastern coasts of Africa. This mission marked the first operational employment of the AV8B strike aircraft – Italian Navy Fighter Squadron – embarked onboard ITS Garibaldi. The aircraft were successfully used for reconnaissance and escort missions, in support of the 8 thousand UN "blue helmets" deployed in the area.

The AV8Bs made over 100 sorties, showing maximum technical and operational efficiency, which was an outstanding result considering that the operation was precisely the very first operational performance of the newly procured aircraft.　

In this context, the Italian Navy showed its natural expeditionary　vocation, through its ability to operate in full autonomy and reliability in overseas theatres, with great rapidity and effectiveness.

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