«The current Army must be reviewed from various aspects. The scenarios and threats have changed and, therefore, the needs have changed, not only ours but also those of other NATO countries. Above all, the main weapon systems must be reviewed, the instruments strengthened, but also the structures, training systems and procedures for use must be adapted. It is, essentially, an all-round innovation, in which technology is a crucial factor but remains the means, not the end. And we need to hurry up and do it, because we don’t know what will happen. While politics and diplomacy do their work, we must commit ourselves to being ready, hoping to never have to take action. This is why Italy must become a nation with a real and credible deterrent capacity.” Army Corps General Carmine Masiello, Chief of Staff of the Army since February – the first from the Folgore paratroopers to hold this position – says it clearly. And it does so on the eve of the 163rd anniversary of the creation of the Italian Army, deriving from the Sardinian Army, on 4 May 1861, but also on the day of the anniversary celebrations, with the ceremony scheduled for Friday morning at Tor di Quinto, in Rome , also with live training of special forces, helicopters and a cavalry charge.
General, from a military point of view, the war in Ukraine What is it teaching us?
«It is a conflict that has changed the paradigms in the field: we have returned to the comparison between mechanized and armored units, to the use of artillery, tanks, specialized machines for mobility and counter-mobility, even trenches. For us Europeans, who have come from 20 years or more of peacekeeping missions abroad, it was disruptive. Added to this are the massive use of drones and the fundamental importance of new domains, of cyber warfare, of disinformation exploited to guide public opinions, but also the morale of the fighters. We need a lot of attention and we need to prepare ourselves for the big changes in the way we fight. Exchanging information with Intelligence is fundamental.”
Israel – Hamas: the latest news
Come?
«Technology, training, values. These will be the strands along which I will articulate my mandate. For too long the Army was not considered a technological Armed Force. You have to keep up with the means available to any adversaries. There is also a gap to close with the sister Armed Forces, the Navy and the Air Force, which are ahead in this: if in the defense system there is only one of the factors that tends to zero, the product will also be zero . The times needed to identify the technologies we need must be shortened, it is essential to de-bureaucratize the acquisition procedures and always adhere to the speed of the evolving world. And that the Defense industry, not only the Italian one but also the European one, understands the particular moment we are experiencing and makes the necessary investments to respond to the needs of the Armed Forces. In this context, Minister Crosetto has already worked to speed up the procedures. The hope is to soon have a true European defense.”
Is there a priority?
«Among the most urgent technologies to be acquired are certainly those focused on the integration of capabilities linked to the cyber domain and the management of the electromagnetic spectrum, in order to allow our units to be protected from the threat coming from the third dimension, with drones and ammunition” intelligent”: an umbrella of protection, which we call a “tactical bubble”. But I am also thinking of the air defense of the national territory, which we have seen put into practice recently by Israel.”
Is Italy also at risk? And do you have enough soldiers to defend yourself?
«Let’s be clear: we are not at war. We are in a competition that we define as “below threshold”, therefore without ever exceeding certain limits, a hybrid comparison that uses every possibility, not just military, to damage some countries and facilitate others, which we can better address with a different regulatory framework and legal instruments compared to the current ones in order to be put on the same level as potential adversaries. These will be years of great crisis, it is better to be prepared. To date, the workforce is not sufficient, the two war scenarios – Ukraine and the Gaza Strip – teach us that mass is needed, because forces wear out and must be regenerated. A problem that can be addressed with an even modest increase in the numbers of the individual Armed Forces – at least 10 thousand more soldiers are needed, as stated by Admiral Cavo Dragone, Chief of Defense Staff -, which must inevitably be accompanied by reserves that allow increase staff as needed”.
That needs to be trained.
«This is another key point. I demand maximum attention from the entire command line, training is our insurance policy, the guarantee that we know how to do our job. I asked my commanders to find every useful opportunity to train. We hope that it will never be necessary, but those who fight must know that next to them there is a person perfectly prepared, in every respect, and capable of carrying out their role, who they can trust. We will train despite the difficulties and problems on some of our ranges and the shortage of ammunition, which I have already asked to increase.”
Is it also a question of values?
“Certainly. The scenarios, the weapons, the way of fighting change, but not the values. They are the underlying theme of the history of a military institution and do not allow for exceptions, hesitations or second thoughts. Sharing these values keeps an army united and makes it strong and resilient in times of crisis, beyond hierarchical ties. Furthermore, I asked everyone to contribute with their ideas: everyone must participate in this change, from the corporal to the colonel. My slogan is “ideas have no degrees”. I know it won’t be easy but we have to do it.”
Who is it focusing on in particular?
«As for young people, they are the only ones capable of intercepting changes and technological evolutions. I expect a lot of help from them. They have ideas to sell, they will be listened to. And we will also be able to propose them to civil society. We will also try to safeguard our professional heritage, trained in our schools, and make it more competitive with the job market. But there are many boys and girls who, even when faced with a higher salary, prefer stars. A question of values, precisely.”
Will the commitment to becoming a country with deterrence lead to a decrease in Italian commitment abroad?
«I don’t see the reason. On the contrary. It’s not just the Middle East that’s in turmoil. In addition to the eastern flank where we are involved with NATO, we must look at nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina and the southern shore of the Mediterranean, with problems of internal stability and conflicts in some countries, but the Sahel is also a concern. There are entire territories in the hands of terrorists, the destabilization of the area is strong with Russian military and Chinese economic penetration. Let’s imagine what it would mean to withdraw our buffer contingent between Israel and Lebanon. The missions abroad and the Mattei Plan for Africa in this sense are stabilization factors.”
3 maggio 2024
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