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Italian warship Giovanni Delle Bande Nere in Mumbai for five-day port call
The Italian Navy's newest class of multi-purpose combat ship is in Mumbai from 18 to 22 October on an Indo-Pacific deployment, with a defence industry showcase planned on board.
Key points
- Italian Navy ship ITS Giovanni Delle Bande Nere is in Mumbai from 18 to 22 October.
- A presentation on Italy's defence industry is planned on board on 21 October.
- The ship left Taranto on 3 May and is making ten port calls on its deployment.
The Italian Navy’s multi-purpose combat ship ITS Giovanni Delle Bande Nere is in Mumbai for a five-day port call from Sunday, 18 October, to Thursday, 22 October, as part of a long deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
An Indian Navy representative is to greet the ship on arrival. The Italian Navy has lined up naval diplomacy and cooperation events during the stay, and on 21 October the ship will host a presentation on the Italian defence industry on board.
A long voyage east
The ship sailed from the southern Italian port of Taranto on 3 May and plans ten port calls on the deployment. The Italian Navy says the voyage is meant to showcase the “Italian System” in technology, industry and culture, and ties it to protecting sea lanes and freedom of navigation.
An earlier exchange
The visit follows a call by the Indian Navy’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini at Livorno in Italy, which it left on 12 September. During that stop, the Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, went on board and met the crew and trainees.
The Mumbai stop comes during a busy week for the city’s diplomatic calendar, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosting the UAE’s Foreign Minister and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio there on Monday and Tuesday.