The war in Ukraine is a warning signal for Europe, whose values and stability can no longer be taken for granted, but need to be defended. This is the meaning of what was expressed by the Italian Defense Chief of Staff, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone , heard in a hearing before the Defense Committees of the Chamber and Senate. For the admiral, “the worsening of old tensions throughout the enlarged Mediterranean area and the emergence of new ones unfortunately recall a Cold War climate, resulting from the Russian aggression of Ukraine”. The situation on the ground
In Eastern Europe, explains the admiral, a classic war is being waged, made up of heavy vehicles, artillery and deep maneuvers. However, the situation on the ground for Putin is not the best. Russian casualties are estimated at around 15,000 men, and the forces available to Moscow are represented by “troops arriving from afar, young and unmotivated”, who are fighting “an invasion war”, on the contrary instead of the Ukrainian resistance in which is fought “for one’s own home”, has outlined Cavo Dragone. Italy with NATO
NATO, not having the jurisdiction to intervene within the Ukrainian borders, has consolidated the presence of its troops on the east flank: “We have reacted to protect the most exposed countries”, explained the head of Smd, and the strengthened presence on the eastern borders and a configuration that “will remain over time, I believe, lasting”. This revision of the structures, in fact, “must remain constant, longer than the end of the crisis, to give the guarantee that the Alliance exists”. As regards Italy’s commitment to the defense of the east flank of the Alliance, the Chief of Staff reassures that “Italy is in a high state of readiness”, with our soldiers deployed in Romania with the eight Eurofighters, 250 soldiers in Latvia and three ships in the southern area. In addition to these, 1 more are ready.The Russian threat
The Russian will to “reaffirm its role as an international superpower using its strategic weight with extreme aggression”, as evident in Ukraine, would be for the head of Smd at the basis of the instability that is affecting other areas of the European space as well, up to the so-called region of the enlarged Mediterranean. In the face of the Russian threat, it is necessary to adapt and be ready. We are witnessing “a very, very, very modern conventional warfare” in which the challenge has become complicated “with hybrid attacks and disinformation campaigns, with the cyber and space domains exacerbating the threat”. However, the crisis is also a moment to take stock of our defense capabilities. Especially in view of the new funds that will be allocated, from here in the future, to the Defense sector,The development of national defense
In fact, the admiral’s attention turned to the readiness needs of our Armed Forces. “Our country needs trained and specialized human resources” as well as “stable and adequate financial means”. Cavo Dragone defined “the consolidation of the growth of the budget desirable” and therefore it will be necessary to “make the refinancing of the multi-year investment fund for Defense and the refinancing of the Mise funds structural”. This planning will aim “at a joint force model”, capable of creating “synergy with national industry, research and the academic world”. The Armed Forces must therefore be up to the challenges posed by the environment and emerging technologies, planning the use of resources in a perspective of continuity and innovation “taking advantage of the opportunities of European and international cooperation programs”. In particular, as of today, according to Cavo Dragone, the foundations must be laid to enter the technological revolution of the next decade: “I mention the sixth generation Tempest aerial platform, the new Future vertical lift (Fvl) rotary wing assets, the related projects to access services to space operations, the construction of new generation land and armored vehicles and, in the naval and aeronautical fields, the full operation of the Carrier strike group which will include the new DDX destroyers and F-35s “.The cognitive domain
Particularly important will be the “cognitive” domain of the war of the future, in which the weapons are “media control, the exploitation of social networks, fake news. Anything that can interfere with the feelings and opinions of the public ”. Precisely for this reason, the admiral recalled the importance of continuing the development of the “Defense Cloud” project, which aims to create a single classified cloud infrastructure and “provide additional resources to enable the defense to conduct the full range of cyber operations “. Enlarged Mediterranean
Among the threats to stability, there remain those of the enlarged Mediterranean, defined by Cavo Dragone as “the pre-eminent and primary area for Italy where interests are projected, expanding”. An area made even more problematic “by the entry of new players such as Russia”. In this context, the Sahel has a strategic dimension, and “the expansion of the Russian presence in the Sahelian area, through the Wagner group, adds a further element of concern”. In particular, in Libya, the reduction of the Italian Ippocrate mission in Misurata is expected, where the need for a hospital to treat those who fought against Isis “has evaporated”, given the downsizing of the terrorist group in those areas. However, the admiral points out, “In this fluctuating period as regards the institutions in Libya it is difficult to understand their needs well”. As for Mali, however, after the withdrawal of the French mission Barkhane, the admiral reported on the return of our contingent from the Takuba Task Force: “France has decided to dismantle the operation and we are currently studying that, in principle, it should provide for the contingent to return home “.Conflicts of the future also in space
The challenges highlighted by the admiral also involve orbits. In the space domain, “an unprecedented global competition is taking place” which “portends possible future kinetic conflicts, and which extends to private and institutional actors, with an increase in risks related to threats from space, to space, and in space” . The rush to the Arctic
Cavo Dragone also spoke of “increasing attention to the Arctic” by the Defense. Since it is “destined to assume a significant strategic and economic importance in perspective”. At the moment there is the current “possibility that alternative ways of communication to the consolidated ones will open”, given the growing “signs of a possible hoarding race for mineral and energy resources in the area”.
