Italian Naval Academy Stops Over For Training Campaign In Ghana

Popular Italian ship, Destroyer ITS Luigi Durand de la Penne, will arrive at the Tema Harbour on Thursday, where she will stay until September 2.

This will be the fifth stopover of the 2018 training campaign for 123 cadets of the Naval Academy 2nd class.

The cadet will have the opportunity to further develop their professional growth, along an educational path begun last year onboard training ship Amerigo Vespucci.

Being the first operational experience onboard for the cadet, it is primarily aimed at acquiring skills and capabilities for future duties and assignments while infusing and consolidating in them the Italian Navy’s core values.

ITS Durand de la Penne has been conducting her 2018 training campaign as part of a training activity while performing functions of presence, surveillance and naval diplomacy in areas of unusual gravitation for the units of the Italian Navy, such as, for instance, the Gulf of Guinea.

The ship departed from Taranto on July 23, this year and after leaving the Ghanaian port of visit, will sail towards Casablanca in Morocco.

A number of events are planned during port calls in order to promote a mutual deeper knowledge between the crew and cadets with representatives of local authorities and armed forces.

On Friday morning, the ship commanding officer, Captain Armando Simi, will hold a press conference onboard to present the ship and the activities which will be conducted during the 2018 training campaign.

ITS Durand de la Penne was launched on 20 October 1989 and delivered to the Italian Navy on 18 March 1993. Classified as Guided Missile Destroyer, ITS Luigi Durand de la Penne is a multipurpose platform mainly designed for blue water operations.