Norfolk, Virginia, May 22nd, 2018
Today, the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Armando Varricchio, visited the Italian Navy’s class FREMM frigate in Norfolk, on the occasion of her first US campaign. Norfolk, where the US Naval Station and the Allied Command Transformation (ACT) of NATO are headquartered, is the first stop of her US itinerary and will be followed by Baltimore, New York and Boston.
Frigate “Alpino”, built by Fincantieri and delivered to the Italian Navy in 2016, represents the extraordinary combination of technology, innovation and tradition that has always distinguished Italy, its Armed Forces and defense industry. The presence of “Alpino” in the US and the joint exercises with the US Navy, before arriving in Norfolk, are a tangible demonstration of the strong Italian and American commitment to international security.
During the visit on the ship, Ambassador Armando Varricchio recalled the “precious contribution of the Italian Navy to the security of our Country and of the International Community, in the framework of numerous missions from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea”.
After the salute to the crew of “Alpino”, Ambassador Varricchio met the Commander of the US Fleet Forces, Admiral Christopher Grady, and of ACT, General Denis Mercier, underlining the importance of bilateral cooperation between Rome and Washington and within the Alliance to successfully address present and future challenges.
