The official visit of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squad General Luca Goretti, took place in Japan from 2 to 8 October last, accompanied by a delegation of personnel from the 3rd Department "Aerospace Instrument Planning "of the Air Force General Staff, met the Japanese Minister of Defense, Hon. Yasukazu Hamada, the director of ATLA (Acquisition, Technology & Logistic Agency), Mr. Hideki Tsuchimoto, and the head of the Japanese Air Force (in Japanese Kōkū Jieitai), gen. Shunji Izutsu. The visit made it possible to further strengthen the relations of collaboration between the two nations and consolidate the foundations for future and fruitful military cooperation in the field of defense and international security.
During the meetings, in particular the one with gen. Izutsu, topics of common interest were developed including the training of pilot personnel andInternational Flight Training School (IFTS), activities with 5th generation aircraft, the development of a joint project for a 6th generation aircraft (Future Combat Aircraft System), as well as possible collaborations in the Space Domain sector (Space Situational Awareness and Space Weather).
"That between our Air Forces is a collaboration based on mutual and mutual trust", said the gen. Goretti during the visit. "The bonds that unite us are strong and this visit is proof of this. We are cooperating together in different areas, on different programs, including the International Flight Training School (IFTS) and the use of common platforms such as the F- 35 and the tanker KC 767. " The head of SMA then added: "our collaboration is in continuous development, together we look towards international security, the Space Domain and the common project on the 6th generation aircraft".
The realities and bases of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) visited by the Italian delegation, including Hamamatsu AirBase and JASDF Air Park, where it was possible to deepen professional activities, exchanges of training experiences, techniques and operating procedures, as well as technical-aeronautical and industrial areas.
On the sidelines of the visit, gen. Goretti also had the opportunity to meet, at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, in the presence of Ambassador Gianluigi Benedetti, the aspirants of the "Aquila VI" course of the Air Force Academy present in the country in the same days as part of a broader educational tour that touched different international locations and operational contexts, including in Kuwait the Task Force Air AM deployed with aircraft Euro Fighter, KC-767A, C-130J and remotely piloted aircraft Predator, and Qatar, where they were able to experience the daily training and training of their Qatari colleagues. In Japan, in particular, future AM officers were able to meet with fellow students of the Japanese National Defense Academy.
The visit to Japan of the head of SMA followed a series of meetings and activities that had already taken place in the recent past between the two Nations and between the two Air Forces. Among these, the meeting at the level of defense ministers last April and the visit of gen. Izutsu in Italy in 2021, where he had the opportunity to appreciate the flight training of the Air Force, an internationally appreciated excellence, and the quality of educational and training programs related to the IFTS project. Recently, last September, also the visit of a delegation of the "Japanese Air-Self Defense Force" to the 4th fighter wing of Grosseto, as part of the collaboration activities between Italy and Japan, both involved in the development of the program "Future Combat Air System" (FCAS).
