Navy, the San Marco Brigade protagonist of the Italy–Tunisia training in the Mediterranean

The last phase of the bilateral exercise Italy–Tunisia “OASIS 2025”, conducted by the Fourth Naval Division and held in the waters off the Augustan harbor, concluded on November 28. The activity represents one of the main annual cooperation events between the two Navies, committed to ensuring stability, maritime security, and joint response capability in the central Mediterranean.

The protagonists of the exercise were the Tunisian patrol vessel “Jugurtha”, the Italian offshore patrol vessel “Comandante Foscari”, ship “Tirso”, an SH-212 helicopter from Maristaeli Catania, and an inspection team from the San Marco Marine Brigade, specialized in boarding operations and maritime traffic control.

A training path in two phases

The exercise, which takes place annually alternating between Italy and Tunisia, aims to strengthen bilateral coordination in the planning and conduct of naval activities both in port and at sea, consolidating trust and interoperability between the two countries.

The first phase, held in port on November 24 and 25, included protocol moments, technical workshops, and integration activities between the crews, essential to align procedures and operational methods.

The LIVEX phase, developed at sea on November 26 and 27, tested the crews through:

• search and rescue (SAR) exercises;
• simulations of merchant traffic control, with the boarding of a suspicious unit represented by ship Tirso;
• joint cinematic maneuvers;
• sharing of the tactical situation through interoperable communication systems between the two Navies.

The debriefing and the strategic value of OASIS

At the conclusion of the activities, the Italian and Tunisian staff participated in the final debriefing chaired by Rear Admiral Davide Da Pozzo, Commander of the Fourth Naval Division. In his speech, the admiral highlighted how the OASIS exercise represents “a fundamental event to consolidate common operational capabilities and strengthen naval cooperation between the Navies of the two countries”.

The 2025 edition indeed confirms the joint commitment of Italy and Tunisia to ensure maritime security, regional stability, and the ability to respond in a coordinated manner to emerging threats in the Mediterranean.