Guardia Costiera
Encyclopedia
The Corps of the Port Captaincies - Coast Guard (Italian language
:Corpo delle Capitanerie di porto - Guardia costiera) is the coast guard
of Italy
and is part of the Italian Navy
under the control of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
- Maritime Law Enforcement
- Protection of marine resources
- Safety of navigation
- Fisheries regulation
branch of the Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto or Corps of the Port Captaincies
which was organized first by royal decree of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in 1865. It was reorganized as part of the Regia Marina
in 1915, (since 1946 Marina Militare
) and on June 8, 1989, redesignated Guardia Costiera.
Moreover the following services are also part of the Corps:
that has tasks and functions connected mostly to the civil use of the sea and with functional dependence of various ministries that avail themselves on their work: first of all the Ministero dei trasporti (Ministry for Transports) which has "inherited" in 1994, from the Ministry of the Merchant Navy, the major part of the functions connected to the use of the sea and the connected activities with the commercial and pleasure navigation a on whose budget weighs the costs for the running of the corps.
The principal tasks of the Corps activities are the following:
Other functions are carried out for the Ministries of defence (enrollment of the military personnel), for Cultural Activities and Treasures (underwater archaeology
), of internal affairs (anti-illegal immigration
), of Justice and the department of civil protection, all having as a common denominator the sea and navigation. The broadness and the variety of activities carried out present the Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard as an organism of reference for the maritime activities and make of them a true "sole counter" for the relations with the seafarers. The Corps is represented in a highly specialized structure, as well under the administrative profile as under the technical-operational one, for the completing of the Public functions that are carried out in the maritime spaces of national interest. These spaces include 155 000 km² of maritime waters, internal
and territorial
, which are in every respect part of the national territory, and other 350 000 km² of waters on which Italy has exclusive rights (exploitation of the depths resources) or duties (rescue in sea and safeguard of the marine environment): a number of marine areas whose extension is almost the double of the entire national territory, which as it is known amounts to 301 000 km². Following the tendency that is affirming itself in Europe
, the maritime authority - coast guard
must exercise an effective control in sea for the safeguard of human life, for the safety of navigation, for the correct going on of the economic activities (fishing and exploitation of the continental platform) and for the protection of the marine environment.
Patrol Boat
(6)
Small Patrol Boat
(9)
Motorboat
(272)
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB412
|| || search and rescue
|| AB412 || 9 || built by Agusta-Bell
|-----
| AgustaWestland AW139
|| || search and rescue
|| AW139 || 4 ||
|-----
| Piaggio P.166
|| || maritime patrol
|| P.166 || 7 ||
|-----
| Piaggio P.180 || || maritime patrol
|| P.180 Avanti II|| 1 ||
|-----
| ATR 42
|| || maritime patrol
|| ATR42MP || 2 || 1 on order
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
:Corpo delle Capitanerie di porto - Guardia costiera) is the coast guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and is part of the Italian Navy
Marina Militare
The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft...
under the control of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
Missions
- Search and RescueSearch and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
- Maritime Law Enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
- Protection of marine resources
Marine conservation
Marine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine ecosystems...
- Safety of navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
- Fisheries regulation
History
Operational SARSearch and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
branch of the Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto or Corps of the Port Captaincies
Captain of the Port
The Captain of the Port is an official who has different functions in the United Kingdom and the United States.-United Kingdom:In the Royal Navy, the Captain of the Port is the officer, usually with the rank of Captain, responsible for the day-to-day running of a Naval Dockyard under the authority...
which was organized first by royal decree of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in 1865. It was reorganized as part of the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
in 1915, (since 1946 Marina Militare
Italian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
) and on June 8, 1989, redesignated Guardia Costiera.
Structure
The Corps of the Port Captaincies - Coast Guard is structured as follow:- 1 MARICOGECAP - Port Captaincies General Headquarters - Comando generale, which functions of Italian Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (IMRCC)
- 15 DIREZIOMARE - Maritime Directorates - Direzioni marittime, which are at the head of as many Maritime Rescue Sub-CentreRescue coordination centreA rescue coordination centre or RCC is a primary search and rescue facility in a country that is staffed by supervisory personnel and equipped for coordinating and controlling search and rescue operations....
Commands (MRSC) - 54 COMPAMARE - Maritime Compartments / Captaincies of Port - Compartimenti marittimi / Capitanerie di porto
- 48 CIRCOMARE - Maritime District Offices - Uffici circondariali marittimi
- 132 LOCAMARE - Local Maritime Offices - Uffici locali marittimi
- 60 DELEMARE - Maritime Delegations or Beach Delegations - Delegazioni marittime or Delegazioni di spiaggia
Moreover the following services are also part of the Corps:
- the air-sea component;
- the Cospas-SarsatCospas-SarsatCospas-Sarsat is an international satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system, established by Canada, France, the United States, and the former Soviet Union in 1979. It is best known as the system that detects and locates emergency beacons...
satellite station of BariBariBari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
(in synergy with the Civil Protection DepartmentProtezione CivileThe "Protezione Civile" department is the national body in Italy that deals with the prediction, prevention and management of exceptional events....
); - the 3 Underwater Operators Groups (San Benedetto del TrontoSan Benedetto del TrontoSan Benedetto del Tronto is a city and comune in Marche, Italy, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. It lies on the Adriatic Sea. San Benedetto del Tronto is an important little town on the Marche coast, an active fishing port and one of the main seaside resorts on the central Adriatic coast.Located...
, NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Messina); - the 2 Nautical Teams (Lake GardaLake GardaLake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
- SalòSalòSalò is a town and commune in the Province of Brescia in the region of Lombardy on the banks of Lake Garda. The city was the capital of Italian Social Republic from 1943 to 1945, with the ISR often being called the "Republic of Salò" .-History:Salò was founded in the Roman period as Pagus...
; Lake MaggioreLake MaggioreLake Maggiore is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest of Italy and largest of southern Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.The climate is mild...
- VerbaniaVerbaniaVerbania is a city and comune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, in northwest Italy, about north-west of Milan and about from Locarno in Switzerland.-Overview:...
) - the Marine Environmental Division of the Port Captaincies by the Ministry for the Environment and Protection of the Territory;
- the group by the General Fishery Direction of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Tasks
The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard is a Corps of the Italian NavyItalian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
that has tasks and functions connected mostly to the civil use of the sea and with functional dependence of various ministries that avail themselves on their work: first of all the Ministero dei trasporti (Ministry for Transports) which has "inherited" in 1994, from the Ministry of the Merchant Navy, the major part of the functions connected to the use of the sea and the connected activities with the commercial and pleasure navigation a on whose budget weighs the costs for the running of the corps.
The principal tasks of the Corps activities are the following:
- Search and rescue at seaSearch and rescueSearch and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) with the entire organization of co-ordination, control, detection and communications active for 24 hours a day requested by this activity; - Safety of navigation, with systematic investigative controls on the entire national mercantile, fishing and pleasure shipping, through the activity of Port State ControlPort State ControlPort State Control is the inspection of foreign ships in other national ports by PSC officers for the purpose of verifying that the competency of the master and officers on board, the condition of a ship and its equipment comply with the requirements of international conventions Port State...
, also on the foreign mercantile shipping that calling at the national ports; - Protection of the marine environmentMarine conservationMarine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Marine conservation focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and on restoring damaged marine ecosystems...
, with functional dependence of the Ministero dell'ambiente e della tutela del territorio (Ministry for the Environment), using for this aim also resources (operations' centers, aeronaval crafts, naval traffic control systems) already used for tasks of rescue, safety of navigation, and maritime police; - Control on maritime fisheryCommercial fishingCommercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
, with functional dependence on the Ministero per le politiche argicole e forestali (Ministry of Agriculture): at this end the general command is the responsible authority of the National Fishing Control Center and the Captancies carry out the controls prescribed by the national and community norms on the entire fishing fleet; - Peripheral administration of State functions in the matters of formation of the maritime personnel, of registration of the mercantile and fishing shipping, of pleasure shipping, and of the contentious for those maritime crimes that have been de-penalized;
- Maritime policeWater policeWater police, also called harbour patrols, port police, marine/maritime police, nautical patrols, bay constables or river police, are police officers, usually a department of a larger police organisation, who patrol in water craft...
(namely technical-administrative maritime police), including the discipline of maritime navigation and the regulation of the events that are carried out in the maritime areas that fall under the national sovereigntyNational sovereigntyNational sovereignty is the doctrine that sovereignty belongs to and derives from the nation, an abstract entity normally linked to a physical territory and its past, present, and future citizens. It is an ideological concept or doctrine derived from liberal political theory...
, the control of the maritime traffic, the manoeuvre of the ships and the safety in the ports, inquiries on the maritime accidents, the control on the maritime State property, the testing and periodic inspections of coastal deposits and other hazardous installations.
Other functions are carried out for the Ministries of defence (enrollment of the military personnel), for Cultural Activities and Treasures (underwater archaeology
Underwater archaeology
Underwater archaeology is archaeology practised underwater. As with all other branches of archaeology it evolved from its roots in pre-history and in the classical era to include sites from the historical and industrial eras...
), of internal affairs (anti-illegal immigration
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
), of Justice and the department of civil protection, all having as a common denominator the sea and navigation. The broadness and the variety of activities carried out present the Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard as an organism of reference for the maritime activities and make of them a true "sole counter" for the relations with the seafarers. The Corps is represented in a highly specialized structure, as well under the administrative profile as under the technical-operational one, for the completing of the Public functions that are carried out in the maritime spaces of national interest. These spaces include 155 000 km² of maritime waters, internal
Internal waters
A nation's internal waters covers all water and waterways on the landward side of the baseline from which a nation's territorial waters is defined. It includes waterways such as rivers and canals, and sometimes the water within small bays. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of...
and territorial
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
, which are in every respect part of the national territory, and other 350 000 km² of waters on which Italy has exclusive rights (exploitation of the depths resources) or duties (rescue in sea and safeguard of the marine environment): a number of marine areas whose extension is almost the double of the entire national territory, which as it is known amounts to 301 000 km². Following the tendency that is affirming itself in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the maritime authority - coast guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
must exercise an effective control in sea for the safeguard of human life, for the safety of navigation, for the correct going on of the economic activities (fishing and exploitation of the continental platform) and for the protection of the marine environment.
Insignia
Like related coast guards around the world, the Guardia Costiera uses "The Stripe" on its vessels. This marking is in the national colors, with a narrow green band, a narrow white spacing, and a broad red band. Inside the red band is a white circle with a black anchor.Patrol BoatPatrol boatA patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s
(6)- Saettia class
- Saettia (CP 901)
- Diciotti classDiciotti classThe Diciotti class is an Italian designed offshore patrol vessel, presently in use with the Italian Coast Guard, Armed Forces of Malta and Iraqi Navy...
- Diciotti (CP 902)
- Dattilo (CP 903)
- Fiorillo(CP 904)
- Peluso (CP 905)
- Corsi (CP 906)
Small Patrol BoatPatrol boatA patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s
(9)- Cavallari class
- Cavallari (CP 401)
- Pennetti (CP 402)
- Fachin (CP 403)
- Magliano (CP 404)
- Scialoja class
- Mazzinghi (CP 405)
- Scialoja (CP 406)
- Lolini (CP 407)
- Grabar (CP 408)
- Ingianni class
- Ingianni (CP 409)
MotorboatMotorboatA motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
s
(272)- 6-15 ton
- CP 2083 class (51 vessel)
- CP 542 class (65 vessel)
- CP 601 (2 vessel)
- CP 702 class (12 vessel)
- CP 803 class (13 vessel)
- CP 816 class (25 vessel)
- CP 830 Giubileo class (6 vessel)
- CP 841 class (48 vessel)
- 16-50 tonn
- CP 2203 class (5 vessel)
- CP 255 class (6 vessel)
- CP 262 class (4 vessel)
- CP 271 AGA (extended range) class (28 vessel)
- CP 318 class (4 vessel)
- CP 456 class (3 vessel, Ambulance ships)
Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
| Agusta-Bell AB412
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
|| || search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
|| AB412 || 9 || built by Agusta-Bell
|-----
| AgustaWestland AW139
AgustaWestland AW139
The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter manufactured by AgustaWestland. Originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, it was redesignated the AW139 when Bell withdrew from the project...
|| || search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
|| AW139 || 4 ||
|-----
| Piaggio P.166
Piaggio P.166
The Piaggio P.166 is a twin-engine pusher-type utility aircraft developed by the Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aero.The aircraft is known as Albatross in South African military service....
|| || maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
|| P.166 || 7 ||
|-----
| Piaggio P.180 || || maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
|| P.180 Avanti II|| 1 ||
|-----
| ATR 42
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
|| || maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
|| ATR42MP || 2 || 1 on order
External links
- Guardia Costiera homepage (in Italian)