On 30 August 2018, destroyer ITS Luigi Durand de la Penne will arrive in the port of Accra-Tema (Ghana), where she will stay until 2 September 2018.

This will be the fifth stopover of the 2018 training campaign for 123 cadets of the Naval Academy 2nd class, who will have the opportunity to further develop their professional growth, along an educational path begun last year onboard training ship Amerigo Vespucci.

This is for the cadets the first actually operational experience onboard, which is primarily aimed at acquiring skills and capabilities for future duties and assignments, while infusing and consolidating in them the Italian Navy’s core values.

ITS Durand de la Penne has been conducting her 2018 training campaign as part of a training activity, while performing functions of presence, surveillance and naval diplomacy in areas of unusual gravitation for the units of the Italian Navy, such as, for instance, the Gulf of Guinea. The ship departed from Taranto last 23 July, and after leaving the Ghanaian port of visit, will sail towards Casablanca (Morocco).

A number of events are planned during port calls, in order to promote a mutual deeper knowledge between the crew and cadets with representatives of local authorities and armed forces.

On 31 August, at 10.00, the ship commanding officer, Captain Armando Simi, will hold a press conference onboard to present the ship and the activities which will be conducted during the 2018 training campaign.

ITS Durand de la Penne was launched on 20 October 1989 and delivered to the Italian Navy on 18 March 1993. Classified as Guided Missile Destroyer, ITS Luigi Durand de la Penne is a multipurpose platform mainly designed for blue water operations. Weapons systems and surveillance sensors provide short and medium range air defence for a naval formation, mainly based on 3D radar MM/SPS 798, Tartar and Albatros SAM missile systems, while MK 2A Teseo SSM allows over the horizon targeting for sea and land attacks; last but not least, hull, towed and ASW SH 90 helicopter-borne antisubmarine sensors, also associated with new torpedo MU 90, provide the ship with multi-threat defence capabilities.

From September 2009 to March 2011, De La Penne went through a Mid-Life Improvement Program which renovated completely the Combat Management System.