This morning the Chief of Staff of the Army, General of the Army Corps Carmine Masiello, went to Sabaudia to meet the personnel of the artillery counter-aircraft command, of the 17th anti-aircraft artillery regiment “Sforzesca”, of the centre of excellence for counter mini/micro remotely piloted aircraft and of the training regiment.
Gen. ca Masiello was welcomed by the commander of the anti-aircraft artillery, Brigadier General Giuseppe Amodio and, after having saluted the War Flag of the 17th "Sforzesca" and the Institute Flag of COMACA, he received an update on the expressible capabilities and the main current and future activities of the brigade and the dependent regiments. In particular, the operational commitments on the national territory were highlighted, from the operation Safe Roads to the operational competitions in favor of various inter-ministerial meetings in Italian and foreign locations, which saw the anti-aircraft artillery deployed, with its own weapons systems, to protect the areas of operation from potential threats posed by drones, aircraft and ballistic missiles.
Army Corps General Masiello, addressing the men and women of the anti-aircraft artillery of the Barracks Santa Barbara, emphasized that "On the new battlefields, the future of war is rapidly becoming its present. All other things being equal, today, the one with technological superiority wins. Think outside the box and convert to a continuous exchange of knowledge and positive experiences with external society!".
The Army Chief of Staff was then able to examine the anti-aircraft weapon systems currently in use by the anti-aircraft regiments and subsequently attend a practical demonstration of the use of anti-drone systems by the CM/M APR centre of excellence, which includes among its tasks that of evaluating the most advanced anti-drone systems proposed by companies in the sector, in relation to current and future operational needs.
The update continued with a status update on the programs for the renewal of weapons systems, including the GRIFO system that will soon provide the Army with a new and technologically advanced short-range anti-aircraft defense capability, capable of managing even very short-range systems, effectively achieving the complete integration of the various anti-aircraft components into the national and NATO command and control network. The anti-aircraft operators and technicians, for the use of complex weapon systems equipped with latest-generation technologies, carry out continuous and progressive training supported by dedicated simulation systems for the STINGER shoulder-launched missile system and for the SAMP/T medium-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile system.
