Italian presence in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

The (approximate) positions of some ships refer to the last decade of November. Obviously, there may have been changes since then.

The Eastern Mediterranean is currently one of the hottest areas in the world, both due to the Gaza crisis and the only Russian port in the Mediterranean, Tartus.

It is therefore normal for the attention of numerous navies, particularly NATO, to be focused on this area. There are approximately twenty NATO units present in the region, and of these, seven are Italian Navy units, demonstrating the importance of this area for Italian national interests, both geopolitically and economically (considering ENI’s gas fields).

These include 3 frigates, an offshore patrol vessel (OPV), a tanker/hospital ship, a landing dock, and at least one submarine. Specifically, here are the latest known positions (thanks in part to an image released by the Turkish Navy, which is provided above):

• Frigate ITS Virginio Fasan (F591) left Limassol on the evening of November 26 and is now expected to operate west of Cyprus, as part of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford.

• Frigate ITS Carlo Margottini (F592) left Cyprus on November 20.

• Frigate ITS Carabiniere (F593) is expected to operate between Cyprus and Egypt.
• Offshore patrol vessel ITS Paolo Thaon di Revel (P 430) is reported to be west of Cyprus.

• Tanker/hospital ship ITS Vulcano (A5335) is sailing towards Egypt and is expected to arrive today, Sunday, December 3, to provide aid for Gaza.

• Amphibious landing dock ITS San Giusto (L9894) is south of Cyprus.
• Submarine ITS Pietro Venuti (S 528): There is no evidence that it is still in the area, but about a month ago, it made a stop in Cyprus, and it is known that at least one Italian submarine is always operating in the region.