New EUROMARFOR exercise "SEA BIT 18"

The Portuguese Navy Staff hosted the EUROMARFOR Sub Working Group meeting in Lisbon.

On September 19, 2017, the Commander of the Portuguese Fleet (Comandante Naval), Vice Admiral Henrique GOUVEIA e MELO became the new Commander of the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR), relieving the Italian Vice Admiral Donato MARZANO (Italian Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet).

On the 31st of  May, 2017,  the Political-Military Working Group (POLMIL WG) of the EUROFORCES meet in Rome, under the Portuguese Joint Staff presidency, as Secretary Nation of the Interministerial High Level Committee (CIMIN).

The Day of the Navy is celebrated in Portugal on May 20 since 1998, in honor of the great achievement of Vasco da Gama (c.1469-1524). This is the day when his pioneer fleet, for the first time in history linked Europe to the East by sea, arrived in Calicut in India in 1498.

On The 15^th of March 2017, the first annual meeting the EUROMARFOR SUB WORKING GROUP met up in Madrid, in the "Estado Mayor de la Armada".

In order to prepare the Multi-Cooperative Exercise 2017, a Main Planning Conference was held on the 8^th of March in the Comando in Capo della Squadra Navale, in Rome, with the participation of a delegation of the Royal Moroccan Navy.

In this meeting a particular emphasis was given on the planning and evaluation of the training program for the 2017-2019 period as well the analysis of potential EUROMARFOR employment in a gradually challenging maritime scenario.

On the 16^th september 2016, Vice Admiral Donato Marzano has assumed the Command in Chief of the Italian Navy Fleet (CINCNAV) and the Command of European

Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR Operational Commander or COMEUROMARFOR), relieving Vice Admiral Filippo Maria Foffi.

On the 22^nd of  June, 2016,  the Political-Military Working Group (POLMIL WG) of the EUROFORCES meet in Madrid, under the Spanish presidency, as Secretary nation of the Interministerial High Level Committee (CIMIN).

The meeting, coordinated by the Spanish Joint Staff, took place at the Spanish Chief of Defense Headquarters, with the participation representatives of the four member countries and of the Operational Commander of EUROMARFOR.

In the last month the Portuguese corvette João Roby participated in the exercise Multicooperative with the Tunisian Navy, organized by EUROMARFOR, and in the ITALIAN MINEX 16. In both exercises under the EUROMARFOR flag.

After four days sailing the ship is now arriving at Lisbon, but not to rest. The ship has already a new mission, she is underway to participate in the exercise Swordfish 2016. 

On June 10^th the Marina Militare Italiana celebretes one of the most important pages of its history: the Premuda action.

Commemorations of the National Day of Portugal highlighted by a military parade and by the President’s traditional speech.