"In perspective a new investment financing model based on a three-year law until 2040, would constitute the ideal reference paradigm, together with the increase in resources for the operational sector, in order to get as close as possible to the threshold of 2% of GDP, which NATO continues to hope for".
by Giuseppe Paccione
This morning, Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone illustrated to the Defense Commissions, meeting in a joint session in the Senate of the Republic, the Multiannual Planning Document (DPP) of the Dicastery, for the three-year period 2023-2025.
The DPP is part of the overall framework of the reports which, according to current legislation, the Ministry of Defense is required to transmit to Parliament on the matters within its competence. Expected by law n. 244 of the 2012, the Document defines the general framework of the operational needs of the Armed Forces, including the strategic directions and capacity development lines, the list of ongoing armament and research programs and the related financial programming plan, indicating the resources assigned to each of the programs for a period of not less than three years.
The admiral Cable Dragon, after a preamble on the current international crisis situation, went into detail about the Document, recalling, for each main weapons programme, the relevant operational need identified to guarantee the country a competitive, flexible, effective, technologically balanced, fully integrated and sustainable.
In particular the chief of staff, suddenly employment in the Middle East explained how “The tragic events of recent days and the enormous suffering of civilian populations required a rapid humanitarian and health initiative, which only Defense could ensure in a highly operational and kinetic crisis area. It will be a heavy and long-term commitment that will require the use of personnel, means and materials on a large and growing scale. We will certainly not be alone, because other countries are joining and coordinating with us, but we will have to be fully able to support the commitments made and do our part with the effectiveness that has always distinguished us".
In this regard, he then recalled the others commitments already undertaken within NATO from Italy which involve a waste of energy in terms of men and means and which require, on the part of the Defence, immediate responses"If we only think about the Defense commitment on the Eastern flank of NATO, which could become stable in a medium and long term perspective, about the consolidation of our contingents in the crisis areas of the Wider Mediterranean due to the worsening of existing tensions, about the growing needs in terms of use for security in the national territory, we have risen to around 5400 personnel for the Safe Roads operation, even the 160.000 model is widely exceeded by reality and realistically we must consider at least 10.000 additional units for the future. With attention to new domains and new technologies, starting from 2023, have been activated competitive notices dedicated, for the recruitment of Directly appointed officers, finding graduates leaving the University and possessing skills in the aforementioned areas". The Chief of Defense Staff then spoke about theactivation of new training processes, developed in the joint forces area and with an inter-agency vocation, aimed at enabling personnel to acquire the skills necessary for the needs of Defense and the country and the progressive activation of an auxiliary reserve of the State, made up of personnel from the world civil and with previous military experience, usable in times of war or international crisis, as well as in the event of a state of emergency decided by the Government or for emergencies of national importance, connected to calamitous events".
Constant funding with a three-year law
Cavo Dragone represented to parliamentarians the need to guarantee the defense budget to the post office constant funding over time to update the programs of a complex sector in itself: “The projects represented in the DPP, under construction and those planned in the future can concretely be finalized in the presence of a long-term financial plan, which guarantees full stability and certainty of resources over time. Highlighting that it is necessary to consolidate the growth path undertaken, in order to guarantee the constant supply of the operating and investment sectors also in a framework of revitalization of the link with the Mimit to support the competitiveness of the industry in a strategically relevant sector. In perspective a new investment financing model based on a three-year law until 2040, would constitute the ideal reference paradigm, together with the increase in resources for the operating sector, in order to get as close as possible to the threshold of 2% of GDP, which NATO continues to hope for. The competitive advantages for the national industry and the country as a whole would constitute a further growth driver also for small and medium-sized enterprises".
At the request of NATO reach 2% of GDP for financing to be allocated to the Defense sector, Cavo Dragone, emphasized: “The objective of reaching the target of at least 2% of GDP by 2028 is increasingly relevant. From this perspective, the 27,7 billion euros assigned by the 2023 budget law will have to increase, in the space of 5 years, to approximately 42 billion euros with an increase, therefore necessary, estimated at approximately just over 15 billion euros".
Programs with high technological value
Cavo Dragone therefore spoke about the Defense programs to provide the Armed Forces with advanced weapons systems high technological value, by: “le military capabilities necessary for the assigned missions, recovering the ability to operate even in a conventional conflict, which requires intensive, continuous and prolonged use against potential joint forces; The satisfaction of capability targets of NATO in order to effectively and reliably support the growing commitments in the Atlantic framework; there conducting a joint operation autonomous, even high intensity, limited in time and space to defend the country or to support a third country, in an area within the wider Mediterranean area of primary national strategic interest. The DPP ('23/'25), explains the chief of staff, “provides the start to 33 new programs with high technological value in all domains, allowing the national industrial sector to consolidate and develop its wealth of expertise and technological know-how".
Joint-force programmes
Among the joint programs that the admiral stated stands out “the acquisition of a geostationary satellite for military communications aimed at ensuring resilience in the area of operation, in the event of degradation of current capabilities; starting the study and developing a constellation of satellites for communications and data in low orbit (low earth orbit); the consolidation of integrated defense IT network, with benefits for the communications of the entire sector in terms of capacity, resilience, sustainability and cyber security; the development of one deep strike missile capability (hypersonic) starting from 2028 and new generation anti-ship starting from 2034; the allocation of resources in the sector battle decisive ammunition, in order to guarantee adequate levels of ammunition in all domains".
The most important programs affecting the individual Armed Forces
OnItalian army, Cavo Dragone said:”Modern weapon systems are being acquired, which will allow us to sustain a potential conventional conflict, to operate in a multi-domain perspective and to comply with the commitments made in 2017 and 2021 (capability target) with NATO in the general planning process, with reference to the increase in heavy forces and long-range artillery". In this context, explains Cavo Dragone, “the programs for the renewal of the armored forces are framed (acquisition of the "Leopard 2" MBTs); of forces for heavy infantry; ground support vehicles for Army aviation; very short-range anti-aircraft defense capability; the ability to engage precision artillery in depth; of the data center infrastructure and management information system; of the training simulation, through an architecture that interrelates the main simulation systems".
On the Navy, the admiral summarized as follows: “The adaptation and modernization of the logistical support of naval bases, as part of the blue bases program and the renewal of the logistical support capabilities of the arsenals; the strengthening of anti-submarine, surveillance and data collection capabilities, based on emerging and disruptive technologies, with the development of autonomous underwater systems; the acquisition of a anti-ship missile for the helicopter component; the acquisition of a naval platform for underwater reclamation and the recovery of polluting and potentially harmful objects for the ecosystem; the development of a federated and modular architecture of simulation systems; the acquisition of remotely piloted vehicles embarked, to expand the surveillance capacity of naval units. It should be highlighted that, in perspective, the underwater dimension sees a rapid growth in civil activities and constitutes a largely unexplored technological frontier of strategic importance for the implications on national defense capabilities, as well as for the potential repercussions in multiple sectors of the blue economy".
OnAeronautica Militare, the head of the Italian Defense explained how the Armed Force "is interested in the start of a study and the development of a technological demonstrator for the future implementation of an airborne launch system for the protection and resilience of low orbits, in view of a capacity of 'responsive space', as well as for placing small aircraft into low orbitpayload'; from the acquisition of nationally produced APR systems; from the launch of a program to contain energy spending and from the renovation of depots and terminals". The admiral then made an aside on “trinational collaboration program for the development and acquisition of a sixth generation fighter Gcap/Tempest, in collaboration between Italy, Great Britain e Japan, which occupies" the admiral specified “a notable space in the financial allocations of the 2023-2025 Budget Law. The latter is a program with significant implications for the economy of the three countries, as well as in the fields of security, technology, innovation, research and development in military aerospace sector".
Sui Carabinieri, Cavo Dragone represented that “the force will be affected by the consolidation of the innovation process in the context of supporting prevention and control activities in the territory, but also by the acquisition of a flight simulator for the Light Utility Helicopter".
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