Italian military ship Morosini in Singapore

The state-of-the-art military ship Morosini is currently in Singapore. A move that increases Italy's presence in Southeast Asia, an area that is increasingly strategic economically and diplomatically

Article by Tommaso Magrini

Italy is projecting itself into Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific. Not only commercially and diplomatically, but also with the state-of-the-art ship Francesco Morosini. The ship arrived in Singapore on Monday, May 1, and remained there until Saturday, May 6. Stopped at Changi Naval Base, she participated in the International Maritime Defense Exhibition-Asia (IMDEX), a prestigious international showcase where global excellence in the defense sector, particularly naval defense, converges.

The Morosini, 143 meters long, 17.5 meters wide, 6400 tons in tonnage, is the second Unit of the Thaon di Ravel Class and the last among the ships delivered to the Navy. It represents the spearhead of the national naval shipbuilding industry, which is known to be at the top of the world. The unit, delivered on Oct. 22, 2022, to the Italian Navy at Fincantieri's Muggiano shipyard, moreover, represents the cutting edge of Italian technology in the naval and electronics sector. 

His presence was also an opportunity to participate in the opening event of the Italian Festival Singapore was the stage to promote Italian excellence in other fields, including culture and scientific research. From May 2 to 5, a jazz concert, tours of local schools and lectures in collaboration with Singaporean universities will give participants a chance to touch on cutting-edge technologies and innovative systems. The Patroller also hosted several promotional and open-to-the-public events, including several shipboard tours.

This is an important step for the Italian presence in Singapore and Southeast Asia in general. On Tuesday, May 2, the Ambassador of Italy in Singapore and the ship's Commander held a press conference on board in which the ship's special features and its commitment to the Indo-Pacific Campaign, in promotion of Italian excellence in the world, were explained. Ambassador Mario Vattani explained the significance of the presence of the ship Morosini in this quadrant, its importance in Italy's relations with Singapore and countries in the area, and presented the events organized by the Embassy on the sidelines of this event.

"The geopolitical and economic relevance of the Indo-Pacific," said Ambassador Vattani, "leads Italy today with foresight to increase its presence in the area. For some time now, Italy-which has been an ASEAN development partner since 2020-has been implementing activities in various coinciding with the seven pillars of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific." Indeed, Italy is engaged in the implementation of the Development Partnership with ASEAN. Within this framework, various capacity building activities have been carried out for ASEAN countries in multiple areas: protection of civilians in UN peacekeeping missions, fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime, cybercrime, protection of cultural heritage, sustainable coastal management, anti-piracy and law of the sea. New initiatives are planned in the areas of environmental protection, agricultural mechanization, training of magistrates, and combating transnational organized crime. "We Italians regarding this region of the world have an inclusive vision," Vattani explained, "which aims to collaborate with all actors in the area and Regional Organizations. Today we are doing this in Singapore by bringing our technological excellence with the Nave Morosini, the Navy's youngest unit that represents an instrument of exceptional operational flexibility, capable of carrying out a multiplicity of tasks both military and civil protection".