Is the Defense still "ammuina"?

(To Andrea Cucco)
05/10/22

"At the order 'Facite Ammuina', all those who are in the bow go to the stern and those in the stern go to the bow; those to starboard go to the left and those to the left go to starboard; all those below deck go up on deck, and those on deck go down below deck, all passing through the same hatch; who has nothing to do, get busy here and there ”.

According to some sources, the famous phrase would originate from an episode that really happened. A Bourbon officer, passed to the Piedmontese already during the invasion of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (like many colleagues also on land ...), caught sleeping with the entire crew, was put under arrest by a Piedmontese admiral. After serving his sentence and returning to the command of his ship, he thought it best to instruct his crew to "make ammuina", or in the event of an inspection show industriousness without actually concluding anything.

We have passed the seventh month of the war, a conflict in which - willy-nilly, rightly or wrongly - we are involved (since we supply weapons to one side) and we still make fun of our fellow citizens by compensating for our lack of preparation with rhetoric.

Inadequacy for any conflict, even of medium intensity: we have no weapon systems, ammunition, capabilities, training, organic.

Inadequacy to the slightest diplomatic weight: military force is deterrence and a prerequisite in any negotiation, the ability to assert one's own interest is to speculate on the possibility of obtaining a result against those who want to maximize their own.

The possibility of obtaining respect abroad also presupposes a minimum esteem in the homeland towards those who must (should) represent it.

Inadequacy to deal with the energy emergency: Is it possible that the alternatives to Russia are represented (belatedly and with difficulty) by Azerbaijan and Algeria? The first who tries with impunity to finish the work begun by Turkey on the Armenians last century (read article Italy "in bed with the enemy") and the second who had illegally invaded our EEZ in the Mediterranean without concrete reactions and today there is a pleading Italy at his feet (read article Italy: hit and sunk).

Libya? Given to Russians and Turks who, when asked for military help - unlike ours - they don't send a useless field hospital ... (read article Libya scandal: the Italian military used as human shields?)

So what have we done in these months of war? Little, at best. Too much for the usual "fluff".

We have read of officers soliciting scenario training combat (but why first what did they prepare for ???).

We have witnessed a timid "reshaping" of the main operation underway by our Armed Forces: "Safe Roads". Theimmediate conclusion of a temporary employment of soldiers "For specific and exceptional crime prevention needs" is it was supposed to last 6 months and which instead has been extended from year to year to date since 2008 ...

The Minister of Defense, the one who indulged (with a war less than 700 kilometers from the national border!) a 4-year delay in reaching 2% of GDP in favor of Defense (2028 instead of the already late 2024 ...), is still busy reading speeches (his?) at events, anniversaries, parties, parades, conferences and ceremonies that have little to do with the serious emergency of the Armed Forces.

An example? Yesterday the ADRION initiative that brought together ministers and representatives of Italy, Albania, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro and Slovenia, to foster cooperation on the subject of political-economic security and stability in the Adriatic-Ionian area. Venue of the event? The ship, beautiful and helpless, which seems to best represent us: the Vespucci.

Guerini claimed that “ADRION is an important initiative for cohesion between countries of the Adriatic-Ionian area, a maritime space where relevant geo-strategic interests are at stake. It represents a decisive multilateral political and operational tool for optimizing our presence and our ability to operate jointly in this quadrant, as well as in the broader context of the Mediterranean. It is now evident that the Russian aggression against Ukraine brings with it challenges related to global security and that of energy supplies, with possible repercussions also on this sea basin ”. "Italy" - he concluded - "therefore believes that ADRION should continue its evolution, transforming itself into an aid to the protection of our common safety objectives. In fact, there are many challenges in this area, from cyber to submarine defense, a real fourth dimension on which it is necessary to reflect fully ".

A note to the outgoing minister: speak for yourself! Italy urgently needs to "ACT" completely and not to "reflect".

The time of "facimm ammuina" it must finally end.

Photo: Quirinale / Twitter / Ministry of Defense