Operation Sophia (EUNAVFOR Med) changes flagship
(BRUSSELS2) The Italian aircraft carrier Garibaldi (C-551) took over from Cavour (C-550) Friday (June 3) as flagship of the EU maritime operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR Med / Sophia). It is now he who houses some 60 officers and non-commissioned officers of the force staff (FHQ) who come from 14 different countries.
The Cavour has assumed command of the operation since its launch last June, apart from a technical stopover. During these 283 days in theatre, the Cavour spent 215 days at sea and nearly 5000 hours of navigation.
The operation has a limited workforce: 5 ships — the Garibaldi, the British hydrographic vessel HMS Enterprise (H-88), the German support ship Frankfurt F-1412 and 2 frigates, the German Karlsruhe (F-212) and the Spanish Queen Sofia (F-84).
At the air level, 3-4 aerial surveillance devices are available: a Luxembourg Merlin III, a Portuguese P-3 Orion, a Spanish Vigma, and a French Falcon 50 (intermittently), not to mention the 3 helicopters on board (2 Italians and 1 Spaniard).
(NGV)
