NOBLE MARLIN 2005, NAVAL INTERDICTION TRAINING
The hugest air-naval drill of the last years, including many submarines from several European countries, acting as hunters and capture at sea. Looking towards a bigger integration of the European forces, always keeping in mind the clandestine immigration as well as the international terrorism. (Italian translate)

18th mar - It has been a great and really important experience, especially from the organization point of view. Air-naval forces from all NATO countries have taken part to the drill. "During the manoeuvres we have tested some types of marine interdiction against any possible terrorist attacks, and controls on the clandestine people arrivals". This is what Admiral Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte, master of the NATO allied marine force said.. Even Admiral Carl Mauney, master of the south-Europe submarine allied forces, was present at the press conference, which has ended up the "Noble Marlin 2005" practice kept at the naval base of Augusta yesterday morning. "We have been training ourselves"- the American officer said-" on the antisubmarine warfare and we have obtained very good results. The resources and means used were complex, we have been able to integrate several operational ways, therefore I would like to thank all nations taking part to the project for their serious engagement, and particular thanks shall be given to Mari Sicilia Augusta for their logistics contribution and the resolution of the operations ".The manoeuvres have been carried out in the Ionian sea, in international waters, at approximately twenty miles from the Augusta roadstead; a lot of submarines have been anchored near the Augusta base. More than three thousands soldiers from the Nato force have been engaged in the practice. They were from Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey and United States. Six submarines, ten patrols and sixteen surface-to sea units have been arrayed. . The six submarines from France, Germany, Greece, Spain and Turkey, have acted both as hunters and capture. Surface-to sea units from the "Standing Nato Response Force Maritime Group 2" " have taken to part to the practice together with a French frigate and some vessels from the Italian Marine Force (Itmarfor).(The pictures below show the various phases of a mission. Spanish parachutists are launching from a C130 into the open waters; they are rescued by the Chimera vessel means from the Italian Navy and transferred to the Casabianca, a French submarine. The practice was carrried out in the dawn of 4 March, in the Augusta open sea)

During the meeting with the journalists, the clandestine immigration problem has been more and more discussed. "We wish that all nations from the Mediterranean Sea - Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte said - will try to find out where the migratory flows start from, in order to try to stop them at the source. In the normal operational activities our units control all spaces with "variable intensity" in order not to be expectable. About four thousands mercantile ships transit every day in the Mediterranean sea., Just one small part of them can be controlled because of the exiguity of the naval means available. More and technologically advanced means are required on this purpose, but they are often missing.. The budget for military expenses of the United States is double compared to the European Countries one, but they own half of the military forces engaged". Admiral Sanfelice di Monforte said at the end: "We wish that the European Countries will do their best to avoid such unbalance. It is also a political problem: the clandestine immigration by now is considered a true "traffic of human beings" therefore it is necessary that all the European nations quickly take stronger measures compared to the past. Gianni D'Anna