The air-naval maneuvers had been explained for months on the NATO and Defense websites; the national flight assistance body issued a Notam with areas, quotas and scheduled times on August 20th
It had been known for months that a NATO exercise was to take place in Italy. Far from the secret discovered and denounced by AVS, a visit to the official website of the Atlantic Alliance was enough to discover “Steadfast Noon”, literally still noon, or the annual nuclear deterrence maneuvers which will begin on Tuesday 13 October.
This will be a routine training activity that serves to demonstrate and maintain the operational readiness of the Armed Forces and test procedures that contribute to the deterrence and defense capability of the Alliance and, to quote the words of the Secretary Rutte«helps us ensure a safe, secure, effective and credible capacity to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression. It also sends a clear message of unity and determination.”
Only Bonelli was not aware of the NATO exercise
The event will involve 17 nations and no real weapons will be used during the maneuvers, as the activities are aimed only at verifying procedures, coordination between participants and verifying the safety standards applied. Nothing secret but nothing new either: Italy had already hosted this exercise six times between 2010 and 2023. Therefore the alarm raised by the Honorable Bonelliwhich learned of the event from the NOTAM (bulletin for airmen issued by the National Flight Assistance Agency), which has been known since 20 August, is non-existent.
Even the racing drivers knew it, but he would have wanted to know it in Parliament directly from the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto. However everything will end on October 20th.
Second Bonelliwe would be “in the midst of an international crisis that is pushing the world towards rearmament” and Italy should join the UN treaty for the prohibition of nuclear weapons, also asking the Americans to remove the warheads from our territory.
It’s a shame that there are many international crises and that without those warheads the deterrence of the entire NATO would be greatly weakened. It will happen that air and naval units of the 17 participating nations will cross the sky and the Tyrrhenian Sea in well-defined areas and times, and everything will be available from August, in order to inform all operators who conduct civil activities in those areas.
Why it is important to stay up to date on technologies
In practice, “corridors” have been drawn in the sky that connect the exercise areas with the military bases from which the aircraft will take off, which will be Aviano, Ghedi, Gioia del Colle, Amendola and Trapani Birgi. In particular, on 13 and 14 October from 11am to 4pm; on 16 and 20 October from 10am to 3pm. Although our country is no longer the border with the Soviet bloc, as before 1989, it remains a unique scenario and still constitutes the eastern border of Western Europe, as well as a nation lying on the Mediterranean.
And beyond the pacifist message of Avs, there is an undeniable reality: as for Defense, you need to keep trained and updated, otherwise you will become ineffective in a short time. For a few days, therefore, fifth generation fighters, drones, supply aircraft, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft will operate in our skies, radar centers, reaction times and rapid repositioning capabilities of naval units to protect cities and infrastructures will be put to the test.
What is really sad is that there are Italians who would like their country to have a completely irrelevant military role and who do not understand the importance of being technologically and militarily updated.
As I write, the Leonardo factory is being inaugurated in Turin, where part of the new sixth generation Gcap fighter will be manufactured, making Italy one of the most advanced nations in the sector. Who knows if he finds out Bonelli…
