Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard

The Guardia Costiera is the coast guard of Italy, based in Rome. It forms the operational, sea-based arm of the Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto ( Corps of port captains, port authorities), which comes under the Ministry of Transport in Rome. The emergency number is in 1530.

Tasks

The Capitanerie di Porto - Guardia Costiera is responsible for the following areas:

  • Port Authority
  • Management of state-owned properties in coastal areas
  • Seafarers ( administrative tasks )
  • Issue of certificates
  • Approval and registration of marine vessels
  • Maritime safety (including Port State Control)
  • Operation of navigation equipment
  • Maritime control and Marine Police
  • Search and Rescue ( Emergency 1530)
  • Support in the fight against illegal immigration
  • Maritime environmental protection
  • Fisheries Protection
  • Maritime Protection of Cultural Property
  • Alternative military resources and personnel recruitment for the Navy

Italy has a coastline of about 8100 km. The territorial waters amounts at a twelve-mile zone to 155,000 km ². The Exclusive Economic Zone covers a sea area of 350,000 km ², in which the Coast Guard has duties in the field of search and rescue and environmental protection. When rescue the Guardia Costiera is supported in particular by helicopters of the Italian Air Force, which is charged under the ICAO guidelines for the operation and coordination of the national air rescue system. The aircraft of the Coast Guard are primarily used for the detection of environmental offenses (eg cleaning of ship tanks on the high seas ). You can also make a contribution to the fight against illegal immigration.

The Guardia Costiera is not responsible for the supervision of the customs borders (water tariff ) and also not for the police border guard. These tasks are performed by the air and Seeeinsatzkräften the Guardia di Finanza, but the Coast Guard regularly supports them in this area. There was in Italy repeated attempts, the above-mentioned Strike forces of the Guardia di Finanza of the Guardia Costiera, thus creating a unified Coast Guard, which would be responsible for all government functions at sea after the pattern of the United States Coast Guard or the German coordination composite Coast Guard. These attempts have failed again and again to grandfathering thinking and traditionalism. It is also noted that the maritime forces of the Guardia di Finanza are larger than those of the Guardia Costiera.

The " Hydrographic Institute " in Genoa is part of the Italian Navy. This institute are also some research and survey vessels. There are, inter alia, official nautical charts and sailing directions out and is also responsible for the notices to mariners.

The Italian police have their own water protection police units, which are used primarily on inland waterways and in coastal areas. Other safety organizations such as Italian firefighters have their own boats.

A fundamental contribution to emergency services and first aid near the coast, on beaches and inland waterways makes the non-governmental, non-profit Società Nazionale di Salvamento.

Organization

The Capitanerie di Porto - Guardia Costiera is a structured military organization. It forms an officially (albeit relatively autonomous) branch of service of the Italian Navy ( become their personnel authorized strength, the 11,000 members of the Coast Guard does not count ). The Guardia Costiera under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, however, can be placed under the Ministry of Defense and the Navy in case of need.

The organization has in the central area of military trains. The head of the Coast Guard Vice Admiral, the service position after he is Comandante Generale. The General Command is an aligned militarily swatches bar, who is also supported the important national operations center (Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre).

At the territorial level, the Guardia Costiera is divided into:

The Coast Guard has a total of nearly 400 marine vessels.

Special units and formations are:

  • Air Force: It consists of about 250 people and has nine helicopters from Agusta - Bell AB 412CP, four AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters from ( more planned), 7 patrol aircraft from Piaggio P.166 ( P.180 as a successor ) and 4 patrol aircraft ATR 42MP. Bases are located in Luni (La Spezia, headquarters, maintenance and training center ), Fontana Rossa (Catania ) and Pescara.
  • Satellite station COSPAS- SARSAT in Bari
  • 2 LORAN -C stations in Sella Marina and Lampedusa
  • 4 divers units in San Benedetto del Tronto, Naples, Messina and Cagliari

History

The Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto was founded on July 20, 1865 and summarized all relevant departments of the old Italian states in a new legal and organizational framework together. First, it was a predominantly civilian organization that took over some military tasks in support of the Navy. In 1915 we converted the Capitanerie di Porto from war-related reasons in a purely military organization around and placed it under the Navy. This military status retained even after the Coast Guard in 1918 ( in this respect it resembles the Carabinieri ). When, after 1945, the Navy Department was to become the new Department of Defense, the Coast Guard came to the Merchant Marine Ministry. The traditional links to the Navy persisted, however, and also the military support functions have continued. On 8 June 1989, the operating segments of the Capitanierie di Porto were given the new designation Guardia Costiera, yielding corresponded to an international trend. In particular, the Naval Systems received the new logo and also typical of the Coast Guard red stripes on the side, which was supplemented in this case by a narrow white and green ribbon ( national colors of Italy ). However, this change of name did not change the previous substance and to the functions performed by the Coast Guard. Some take it been calls to expand the Capitanerie di Porto with the sea-based parts of the Guardia di Finanza to a real unified national coast guard. This could not be enforced until today. The late 1990s, was created by a merger of the Ministries of Merchant Marine, Transport and Public Works, the new Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. This new ministry is under the Italian Coast Guard today. In addition, she is also active on behalf of other ministries, especially on behalf of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment.

Honors and Awards

On the occasion of the 144th anniversary of the existence of the Italian Coast Guard awarded the Order of Malta on 20 July 2009 by the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta, Jean -Pierre Mazery, the official flag of the Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto - Guardia Costiera the Melitense Medal of Merit in Gold with Swords of the Order of Merit Pro Merito Melitensi.

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