At the end of the meeting at Palazzo Chigi between the premier Giuseppe Conte and the defense minister Elisabetta Trenta, the government line on the F-35 and on the weapons programs emerged: "In the coming months, all defense departments, under the coordination of Minister Trenta, will be called upon to review the specific defensive needs of Italy, in order to ensure that the next orders are effectively commensurate with our defense strategies, with the goal of guaranteeing maximum effectiveness and operational efficiency in accordance with the Euro-Atlantic position of our country".
As for the payment of 389 million euros: "sums due for completed orders have already been transferred to the United States and payments will actually be made in the coming days."
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Alberto Rosso, in a hearing before the Defense Committees of the Chamber and Senate had expressed strong concern about the uncertainty that continues to weigh on F35 and the breezy hypothesis of a decline in aircraft that Italy will acquire. The results of the recent Superior Defense Council are also on the same line.
It is hoped, however, that the government's will may be not to devote attention to the various armament programs of the Armed Forces with the aim of keeping the electoral promises. Putting the decision of a "strategic national defense" program back to the same level as the decisions on the Tav, certainly does not argue in favor of the role and institutional significance of the Armed Forces, whose task is precisely to defend the country, in harmony with the partners allies. The F-35 is the only aircraft that allows Italy to actively participate in all international joint operations. The F-35 is the future of the military air force and navy, but also of the country system for the effects on the national economy. Resizing this opportunity would be a choice that would lead the Italian defense industry to a "downgrade"Difficult to recover. Just think that the most industrialized countries are already working on higher generation aircraft such as the Franco-German FACS and the English Tempest. Italy should look forward and not backward as it is doing and therefore adhere as soon as possible to programs that are sprouting and that will allow further opportunities for industrial development at a global level.
The vice premier Matteo Salvini on the F-35 it was clear: "No step back on F35. When I give the word I go all the way. The Italian aeronautical industry is an excellence, therefore I would consider any hypothesis of slowing down and repentance to the Italian economy. If we don't do it, we do it French and German. I don't see why to give a gift to our main competitors".
The Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also spoke on the subject. Manlio Di Stefano, during the work of the third conference in Brussels on Syria: "On F-35 aircraft, a profound revision of the agreements made is needed. As we have always said, especially in this period of global recession, with a government that has invested all its resources in the weakest segments of the population from day one, with the citizen's income and the reforms we have made, we must be very careful about investments we make in sectors that are neither priority nor competitive today, and try to move money where it is really needed, like a good family man. On the F-35 we have said and confirmed that a profound review of the agreements made is necessary, but it is clear that if we have orders already open and to be paid, we certainly will not be the ones who go down in history for having betrayed an agreement made with companies, c 'is an entire supply chain that must be respected".