The vessel, commanded by Commander Lorenzo Malandrucco, is scheduled to remain in the city through September 20.
A welcoming ceremony was attended by Colonel Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People's Navy's Naval Region 2 Command, and Ms. Alessandra Tognonato, Consul General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, along with other officials.
During the visit, the ship's officers and crew are expected to pay courtesy calls on leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Naval Region 2.
They will also take part in sporting and cultural exchanges with Vietnamese naval personnel and visit cultural and historical sites across the city.
A seminar titled "Safe Seas, Sustainable Supply Chains: Advancing Italy-Vietnam Maritime Cooperation" is also scheduled to be held aboard the vessel.
ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere, pennant number P434, is a 143-meter-long, 16.5-meter-wide multipurpose offshore patrol vessel with a displacement of about 6,400 tons. It can reach a maximum speed of 32 knots, or nearly 60 kilometers per hour.
The vessel is equipped with two vertical-launch systems comprising 16 launch cells, a 127mm naval gun, twin 76mm guns, and torpedo launchers. Its flight deck and hangar can accommodate EH101 or SH-90 helicopters.
The ship also features long-range acoustic systems, advanced sensors, and modern communications equipment designed to support a wide range of missions, including surface, air, and underwater operations.
The Ho Chi Minh City visit forms part of the Italian Navy's wider operational deployment in the Indo-Pacific region.
