Hello director, first of all I wanted to congratulate you for your newspaper and for the always very interesting live broadcasts on Youtube, but I wanted to draw your attention to an article published in the Corriere della Sera (article link) with a very disturbing title or the one on drastic reduction and near depletion of our military stockpiles.
Italy has run out of ammunition stocks due to the supply of weapons to Kiev. The Italian newspaper reported that Italy's defense capability had dropped to a critical level due to the supply of weapons to Ukraine. High-ranking representatives of the Italian general staff have repeatedly stated that in such conditions, in the event of an attack on the country, "the ability to resist would be estimated at 48 to 72 hours".
In this situation, Rome tried to appeal to Washington to guarantee the restoration of the ammunition, but the United States replied that “we would have to queue”, “and this queue is long. Because the difficulties are common to (almost) all EU countries”.
I would be interested in knowing your opinion.
Cordially
Michael Masiello
Dearest reader, I would like to comfort you immediately: the ability to resist could NEVER be from 48 to 72 hours as political ability would cease after 48-72 minutes. And this not for lack of will (let alone, with the rhetoric of Noantri...) but because, after the start of a war less than 700 kilometers from our bordersvery little has actually been done if not nothing for our armed forces. So who could order the giving of life to a soldier when for years the only thought was not to lose electoral support or - in times of war - to make ends meet?
The cited article scares, but the reality is considerably worse... The ammunition supply is a drama that has been dragging on for decades. However, with leaders who have been able to fool their subjects ("citizens" we will be - perhaps - one day) with terms like "dual use" how could one have justified the purchase of ammunition of war? By no means, although even F-35 fighters were passed off as "duals" for a time.
If someone will say: "At least we will have bought weapons... faster to produce shells than weapons!", evidently does not remember what happened in the recent past (see video)... Furthermore, even if many Defense companies are doing their utmost to fill decades-long gaps, we are certainly not just talking about gunshots.
Are we concerned because the Allies respond to "queuing"? Why should we go ahead, coming last?
It would be as if, with the arrival of a Pandemic, we sent the few available masks to Beijing and later complained about their lack... Could this ever happen?
But there is also more. In the Corriere article it says: According to a report compiled by the Defense at the time of the Draghi cabinet, the degree of efficiency of the Army's armored tanks "is reduced to 25-30%" due to the "obsolescence" of the material and the "cannibalization" of spare parts.
Since 30 out of 200 efficient wagons have long been providing a percentage much less (this level would even be a success compared to previous times) one wonders why it hasn't been done yet! Why with the flatus vocis Does politics always solve everything?!!!
For at least a year (and it would have already been shamefully late!) you should have chosen to what tanks and armored personnel carriers for infantry to equip our army. Has anything been decided? Negative.
Perhaps because some pain in the ass has pointed out that a billion-dollar expense for inadequate means would be a scam at the cost of many lives among our soldiers? This is personal opinion. However, after 15 months, it's time to make a choice (!), because worse than making the wrong one there is only not making it.
However, there is an absolutely positive note in the Italian drama: in the event of an invasion, we will be an excellent "Republic of Vichy". The second in charge of the state, the president of the Senate La Russa, publicly declared last week that the mission Safe Roads should be "intensified" (see video and observes the expression of the former Minister of Defense Guerini behind him...) in parallel with a greater training of the soldiers. The new "have your cake and eat it"?
We immediately asked for an interview with President La Russa (institutional email) to address the point because, in our humble opinion, one activity precludes the other.
We are deferentially awaiting a summons to court so that a simple question such as "concerned subjects" can be answered. Concerts "at home" permitting.
I repeat: may the Lord protect us, before an enemy, from ourselves...
Andrea Cucco
Photo: US DoD
