L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano in highly varied operational contexts, ranging from flag- ship roles in multinational naval forces to carrier group escorts, presence and sur- veillance missions, demon- strating reliability, flexibility, and high platform and com- b a t s y s t e m p e r f o r m a n c e . Multi-purpose combat ships represent a true generational leap in terms of unit config- urability, mission conduct, and sustainability. The Mon- tecuccoli is defined as modu- lar because we can increase capabilities thanks to so- also handles ship conduct and meteorological aspects. " D u r i n g o c e a n c r o s s i n g s , routes must be established, weather conditions evaluat- ed, nautical charts consulted, and potential stops along the route planned. Precise itiner- ary planning optimizes the journey and enables more informed handling of poten- tial risks or dangers during long navigations." What are the peculiar- ities of the Montecuc- coli? These units are employed called modular zones, areas w h e r e c o n t a i n e r s c a n b e quickly reconfigured. If we need a larger crew, we take up living modules. If we need to carry out activities with special forces, we take up assault vehicles. If we need to c a r r y o u t a c t i v i t i e s w i t h drones or remotely piloted vehicles, we take up contain- ers for these systems. W h a t t y p e s o f m i s - sions do you undertake? From coastal patrolling to will visit 14 ports in 12 differ- ent nations at the end of its mission. "We departed from La Spezia on April 29 and completed the first ocean crossing to Miami. After a stop in Santo Domingo, we proceeded to the Panama Canal, where an Italian mili- tary ship hadn't been for over 20 years. After Panama City, we made a stop in Man- zanillo, Mexico, and from t h e r e , w e a r r i v e d i n S a n D i e g o o n J u n e 1 2 , " s a y s L i e u t e n a n t F a r i n a , w h o besides telecommunications A w a i t i n g t h e a r r i v a l a t t h e p o r t o f S a n P e d r o o f t h e A m e r i g o Vespucci, the oldest ship in service with the Italian Navy, the most recent, the Rai- mondo Montecuccoli, a new multi-purpose combat s h i p , h a s d o c k e d o n t h e shores of California. Inaugu- r a t e d l a s t S e p t e m b e r , t h e cruiser Raimondo Montecuc- coli is named after an old w a r s h i p f r o m t h e 1 9 3 0 s , christened in honor of the 1 7 t h - c e n t u r y c o m m a n d e r Raimondo Montecuccoli. W h e n t h e s h i p w a s moored at the Naval Base in San Diego, we from L'Italo- A m e r i c a n o N e w s p a p e r were welcomed by Lieutenant Commander Simone Fari- na for an exclusive tour of what is the third of seven multi-purpose combat ships included in the Italian Navy's o p e r a t i o n a l u n i t r e n e w a l plan. "As a tradition of the Italian Navy, each ship has a motto: Montecuccoli's motto is Centum Oculi, Latin for 'a hundred eyes.' The motto refers to the remarkable qual- ities of the Renaissance com- mander, his keen tactical sit- uational awareness," explains Lieutenant Farina during the tour. "It was said he had 'a h u n d r e d e y e s ' t o q u i c k l y assess battlefield situations. A n a m u s i n g a n e c d o t e involves the tradition where officers of the light cruiser R a i m o n d o M o n t e c u c c o l i would playfully cover the 'O' i n t h e m o t t o w i t h s o m e papers, transforming it into 'a hundred asses,' a supersti- tious gesture to survive any battle. During the Battle of Pantelleria, a fragment of a grenade fired from a British ship hit precisely the letter O. Symbolically, this became a sign that it is a lucky ship." Engaged in an Operational Projection Campaign around the globe, the Montecuccoli SILVIA NITTOLI The Montecuccoli in San Diego: uniting naval excellence between Italy and the United States The Raimondo Montecuccoli (Photo: Marina Militare Italiana) CONTINUED TO PAGE 32 LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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