Audit of the International Maritime Organization for services provided by the Air Force in the field of Maritime Meteorology
On 12th May, a delegation from the International Maritime Organization (IMO – International Maritime Organisation), visited and submitted to Audit It Operational Centre for Meteorology (COMet), within a broader context of verification for the Italian Republic, aimed at ascertaining the level of implementation of the National Maritime Strategy and the application of International Conventions ratified by Italy. The Minister of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility has designated as Single Point of Contact of the National Maritime Administration, Inspector Admiral Luigi Giardino from the General Command of the Port Authorities Corps, which coordinated the work of the 6 Ministries and 12 civilian and military bodies involved, including the COMet, during the long and complex preparatory phase of this activity.
The Colonel Daniele Gaboli, Commander of the Comet and the Director of the CNMCA (National Centre for Meteorology and Climatology of the Air Force), opened the proceedings by outlining the wide-ranging activities that the two Departments carry out for the Armed Forces, the Defence and the country.
Following this, the Lieutenant Colonel Silvia Ughetto, head of the synoptic, aeronautical and maritime forecasting area at the Centre, presented the entire maritime meteorology service, starting from the international and national regulatory context, moving on to the organisation, products for the sea, archiving, and development and control activities for the continuous improvement of activities related to this particular type of forecasting support.
It Team Therefore, the questions were put to the Centre to verify the proper fulfilment of the international obligations on maritime meteorological services imposed by the “International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea”adopted within the IMO in 1974 and entering into force in our country in 1980; this session was contributed to, given the breadth of topics covered, by all units of the Armed Force's meteorological sector, from the AVIAMM Air Staff (General Office for Military Aviation and Meteorology), to the Air Squad Command, to the Automated Systems Department of the Logistics Command, each for the aspects within their own competence.
The verification work therefore concluded with a visit to the Forecasting room of the Comet, where the Team IMO has been able directly to verify the process of processing and disseminating maritime meteorological products.
The’International Maritime Organisation is a specialised agency of the United Nations – established following the adoption of the International Maritime Convention of Geneva in 1948 – aimed at promoting maritime cooperation among member countries and ensuring the safety of navigation and the protection of the marine environment. The IMO is based in London and currently has 174 member countries.
The Comet is an Entity of Air Squad Command all direct dependencies of 9th Air Brigade “Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance – Electronic Warfare” (ISTAR-EW), located at the Pratica di Mare airport site, and it is the operational branch of the Meteorological Service of the’Aeronautics. It provides support to Defence bodies and departments and other State Administrations (based on Agreements or Conventions), as well as to NATO, all’European Union and to individual international partners.
