Italian Navy Day 2025. Genoa celebrates the heroic Premuda naval action on June 10, 1918, and welcomes the training ship Vespucci at the end of her World Tour and Mediterranean Tour.
In the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto, and other high-ranking institutional and military authorities, the event was a great tribute to the women and men of the Italian Navy, silent protagonists in their daily service to the country.

These are the words of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, admiral Enrico Credendino:

"Traditionally, the Navy Day doesn't celebrate the anniversary of the Italian Navy establishment (this year marks our 164th anniversary). Instead, it commemorates one of the glorious actions in its history, namely the feat of Premuda on June 10, 1918. On that day, two motor torpedo boats — the famous MAS boats —commanded by lieutenant commander Luigi Rizzo and ensign Giuseppe Aonzo, surprised the Austrian strike force, sinking the battleship Szent Istvan and marking the moral collapse of the Austro-Hungarian forces.

The action at Premuda was the result of a far-sighted naval strategy in selecting absolutely innovative means and operational tactics. Its protagonists were clear-headed and firm in their decisions, sustained by courage, passion, and a sense of duty that inspired them to throw their heart over the bar.

Courage, passion, and sense of duty were also paramount on December 19, 1941, when six men of the Regia Marina, led by lieutenant Durand de La Penne and deep-sea diver Emilio Bianchi, riding three underwater assault craft units, forced their way into the enemy port of Alexandria, Egypt, sinking the battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant.

I also want to recall that action for the importance of the iconic dialogue between lieutenant Luigi Durand de La Penne and the deep-sea diver Emilio Bianchi, as they prepared to undertake the mission riding a slow-speed torpedo like the one we have in front of us:

"How's it going, Bianchi?" "Good, sir"

"Scared, Bianchi?" "Yes, sir"

"Me too. Good, let's go!"

The heroes of Premuda, Alexandria, and the many equally delicate missions conducted by our Navy were able to face and manage risk and fear through determination and confidence in their own abilities. They were driven by passion and sense of duty, by the desire to do something important for our country through a tactical action of great strategic value.

So, this is the magic formula for great feats and daily successes, the key element of the Navy Day: courage, passion, and a sense of duty in its broadest sense, which includes sacrificing for others and for the country.

This is also the formula that made the Vespucci's recent accomplishment possible.

Looking at the ship here in front of us, my thoughts go back to its departure from Genoa two years ago, to the many challenges we faced, and to the great responsibilities we took on by starting what I would call an extreme voyage, one that has required the commitment of the whole Navy, across all its components.

The complexities of this Campaign were numerous: being away from loved ones for two years, visiting 53 ports in 32 countries across five continents, sailing over 49,000 nautical miles onboard a 94-year-old ship, even in the planet's most challenging places like Cape Horn, ensuring technical and logistical support in every port, making an over four-month stop in Argentina for maintenance and overhaul, maintaining the mental and physical efficiency of a crew subjected to immense sacrifice, and much more.

Over 1.2 million people boarded the Vespucci and visited the "Villaggio Italia" around the world, and more than 1.3 billion people viewed the social media dedicated to this Campaign. These are impressive numbers, conveying the magnitude of this unprecedented undertaking that was inspired by the vision of the Minister of Defence and has proven to be a cornerstone for projecting our national system abroad, earning the admiration of Navies worldwide.

My heartfelt thanks go to the crew of the Vespucci and to their families, because it was from them that the "fair winds" necessary to accomplish this feat arrived.

I would like to dedicate a moved thought to the memory of lieutenant commander Daniele Marino, the ship's doctor who passed away in Brazil in a tragic road accident while on shore leave.

Welcoming the homecoming of the Vespucci, we turn our thoughts to all units returning from missions that allow us to maintain our presence wherever and whwnever needed. Daily, we deploy an average of 30 ships with their air groups, two submarines, and amphibious forces in all corners of the globe in order to protect our nation's interests. Our country's security and prosperity are strongly linked to the sea, within a scenario where the Mediterranean is increasingly influenced by dynamics in the planet's vast maritime spaces, from the Indo-Pacific to the Atlantic, and even the Arctic.

In short, the Mediterranean is becoming increasingly global, as already highlighted by the Minister of Defence.

Today, more than ever, the defining traits of our naval assets — namely, their readiness, versatility, deployment flexibility, and interoperability — are crucial to staying relevant in a context marked by unprecedented competition, uncertainty, and rapid change.

To be proactive and anticipate events, rather than merely reacting to them, we have introduced a significant mindset shift when it comes to the preparedness of our naval forces. This involves accelerating the experimentation of some capabilities and adapting others, while actively seeking all possible synergies with industry. This approach ensures that our designs and products can adaptively incorporate the requirements emerging from current trends and feedback from the field.

In this regard, for example, the National Hub for the Underwater Dimension, established to address underwater challenges, has already launched numerous research and development projects of high technological and operational interest. In just over a year, it has actively involved over 90 universities, businesses, and research centres.

We'll have the first demonstrators ready as early as next year.

On the organisational level, and with the hope that measures to rejuvenate and regenerate the forces will soon take shape, the Italian Navy remains focused on concentrating resources on its core business, aiming to eliminate bureaucracy and outdated customs that  add no value to processes, but instead slow or even block them.

At the same time, we're working on organisational well-being to improve job quality through a series of considerations and initiatives. These are summarized in seven best practices, disseminated through a guiding manifesto for the entire Navy.

In this dynamic period, where proactivity is key, we've assessed ourselves, redefined the primary factors for managing complexity and change, and condensed them into a ten-point guide for commanders. This aims to revitalize the spirit of "doing together" within leadership, all while striving for continuous improvement.

The extraordinary voyage of the Vespucci is, after all, a metaphor for the lives of us sailors: a difficult and demanding journey that requires great sacrifice and determination, especially when confronting life's inevitable storms, yet always remaining a unique and extraordinary experience.

This has been my own journey over these 45 years, during which I had the honour and privilege of serving our country as part of the Italian Navy's great crew, and I am certain it is the same for all the women and men of the Italian Navy.

Finally, I want to speak directly to all military and civilian personnel, of every rank and role. A truly exceptional aspect of your service is the daily discipline you quietly demonstrate, committing yourselves with courage, passion, and a profound sense of duty to your work, always with the invaluable support of your families.

To each of you and your loved ones, I extend my deepest gratitude.

Never forget: we are the great crew.

Our horizon is beyond, and we'll get there together.

Long live the Italian Navy!

Long live the Italian Armed Forces!

Long live Italy!