“More technologies, more soldiers: we must be ready, we must hurry”: the army chief of staff gives the line

“We need to hurry, 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: Italy must become a nation with a real and credible deterrent capacity.” The speaker is the Army Chief of Staff, General of […]

“We have to hurry, because we don’t know what will happen. While politics and diplomacy do their work, we must commit ourselves to let us be readyhoping to never have to take action: Italy must become a nation with a capacity to real deterrence And credible“. The speaker is the army chief of staff, the general of the Army Corps Carmine Masiello. In an interview with Corriere della Sera the senior officer underlines: “The Army must be reviewed from various aspects. The scenarios, the threats and, therefore, the needs have changed, including those of the other NATO countries. Above all, the main ones need to be reviewed weapons systemsimproved tools, the structures are adequate and employment procedures”. Masiello is the first army chief of staff to come from paratroopers from the Thunderbolt. These days marks the 163rd anniversary of the creation of the Italian army, which was established for the first time with the unification of Italy with a decree of 4 May 1861.

According to General Masiello the war in Ukraine “it 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 in the trenches.” To the Courier the Chief of Staff explains that all this “for us Europeans, who have come from years of peacekeeping missionswas disruptive. Added to this are the massive use of drones and the importance of new domains, of cyber warfarefrom the disinformation to guide public opinions and the morale of the combatants. Exchange information with intelligence it’s fundamental, we need to equip ourselves for major changes in the way we fight.” What causes this necessary transformation? Masiello lists “technology, training, values” which “will be the strands of my mandate. For too long the Army was not considered a technological armed force. Instead, we need to keep up with the means available to potential adversaries. A gap with the ‘sisters’ must also be recovered Marina and theAeronautics. And we need to shorten the time it takes to identify the necessary technologies, reduce bureaucracy in acquisition procedures, and adapt to the speed of the evolving world. Is that the defense industryincluding the European one, understand the moment and do it necessary investments“. In short, acceleration at full force and in fact, says the general, “Minister Crosetto has already taken action.”

And then there is the issue of the forces available. Although on the one hand Masiello clarifies that “we are not at war, but in one ‘below threshold’ competitionwithout ever exceeding certain limits, a hybrid comparison which uses every possibility, not only military, to damage some countries and facilitate others”, on the other hand an adaptation of the “regulatory framework and legal instruments” is needed, but above all a strengthening of the workforce: the current one, says the general, ” is not enough”: “The two war scenarios — Ukraine And Gaza Strip — they teach us that the masses are needed – continues the Chief of Staff, because the forces wear out and need to be regenerated: a problem that can be addressed with even a modest increase in the size of the individual armed forces – they are needed at least 10 thousand more soldiersas stated by the admiral Dragon CableChief of the Defense Staff -, who must inevitably be accompanied by reserves, however increase the workforce to the need”.