Since 1985, Italy has been present in Antarctica with its own scientific program called National Research Program in Antarctica (PNRA). The programming is articulated according to the following interdisciplinary research themes and is defined by the National Scientific Commission for Antarctica (CSNA):
Global Changes
Climate processes
Biodiversity and evolutionary adaptation
Adaptation of man to extreme environments
Structure and evolution of the ocean ecosystem
Permanent observers
Antarctica and global tectonics
Space weather and astrophysics
Technologies
The scientific program foresees the execution of expeditions in Antarctica with activities to be carried out at: the "Mario Zucchelli" station in the Terra Nova bay on the Ross Sea and the Italian-French Concordia station, the most extreme of the bases on the Antarctic plateau at 3270 meters of altitude as well as at foreign bases and / or ships and in the context of oceanographic campaigns in the Ross Sea.
The military of the Italian Armed Forces contribute significantly to the achievement of important scientific successes, whose contribution will range from weather forecasts for the safe conduct of air operations, to operations at high altitude with Alpine guides, to naval operations that allow to supply the base. Concordia for the winter campaign, up to the "extraordinary works". The professional preparation of the military employed has also aroused admiration among the foreign nations with which Italy collaborates in the white continent (America, Australia, New Zealand and France), to date have been employed:
118 Army
Navy 121
Italian Air Force 78
Police 1
The Defense also this year contributes to the Italian expedition to Antarctica, now in its XXXI edition, whose deadline is set for the month of February 2016.
