analysis of the US presence in Italy: 120 sites, 18,000 people and a thousand companies involved. What would happen in case of department cuts.
If Donald Trump decides to withdraw part of the US troops from the bases present on Italian soil, it should also simplify and lighten the deployments of units belonging to the Marina (precisely at Sixth Fleet from the US Navy), aviation (Usaf) and the army (US Army). With two significant problems to solve.
The first: the tycoon has fewer options than he is about to do Germanysince, for example, Naples it is in fact the European headquarters of its company Marina in which thousands of people work. Second, the same should be done to Vicenza (Ederle Barracks and basic Cà del Dinor the former airport From Molin), where the company operates 173rd Airborne Brigade of the army, the rapid intervention force in case of crisis in Europe and in Africa.
The economic paradox of Vicenza and the safety of Aviano
Here in the last five years a residential center with 470 homes has been built, an investment from 500 million dollars still to be completed – work is expected to be completed by 2028 – investment that would be wasted. Third in importance is the air base ofUsaf Of Aviano (Pordenone), which hosts logistics centers but also the 31st Fighter Wing with two groups of aircraft F-16. Without those, the escort for diplomatic trips to Southern and Central Europe, the airlift for the Middle East and operations towards the equatorial zone ofAfrica they would become much more complicated and less safe.
There have been rumors for some time of a downsizing of the communications base «Naval radio transmitter facility” Of Niscemi (Caltanissetta), but if this installation could be replaced by satellites and ships, for theUS Navy it would be a problem to lose a “natural aircraft carrier” like the one constituted by the air base of Sigonella (Municipality of Lentini, Syracuse). Other bases are found in Tuscany (Camp Darby, Pisa), a Gaeta (for logistical support to the Navy), up to the recreation center of Carney Park to Gricignano d’Aversa (Caserta). In total, 120 Italian sites which provide an economic boost to local communities.
The economic activities and the role of Italian companies
Trumptherefore, could carry out an act that would have negative effects on certain Italian communities, but at the same time Washington would have to give up a number of options to project their power into Europe and beyond. Moreover, in the recent past several bases in Europe have played a critical role in enabling U.S. forces to conduct operations againstIranincluding military sites in Germany, United Kingdom, Greece, Hungary And Romania.
It is difficult to venture a precise calculation, however it is clear that the lack of US soldiers would lead to consequences such as the reduction of consumption at a local level, especially where US soldiers and their families reside outside the bases, places where they spend their salaries, in dollars, on rent, catering and leisure, therefore contributing to supporting local economies. In total theItaly hosts approx 13,000 soldiers with their families, a population which, according to estimates, numbers approximately 18,000 people (continuously varying number), which they produce half a billion euros in related activities.
Nerve centers and nuclear deterrence in Europe
The figure also includes Italian civilian personnel employed on bases for administrative, maintenance or logistical roles. A possible cut would also cause suffering for a thousand Italian companies that have existing contracts for construction work and the provision of services within the installations. And even if, in many cases, theItaly supports the costs of maintaining the bases and allows tax exemptions on fuel and VAT to the forces USAthe final budget among the expenses of USA And Italy it’s not that far from breaking even.
There are fundamental foundations for the effectiveness of deployments and the functioning of the Born in Europenerve centers as in fact Aviano but also Ghedi (Brescia), as places where nuclear devices are stored B61-4. Furthermore, they are the take-off runways from which Born And USA they intervened in Iraq, Libya And Kosovo. Without Sigonella The USA they would lose the drone base Mq-9 and radar aircraft Ep-3 who operated in North Africa under the Africom Command; without Camp DarbyBetween Pisa And Livornoone of the largest ammunition depots in the United States would disappear USA in Europeessential for logistical support to military operations.
There Naval support activity (Nsa) based on Naples And Gaeta represents the command centers of the naval forces of the Sixth Fleetfundamental for operations in the Mediterranean from the 1967 and place of work for approx 1,200 soldiers. Therefore, if these were places in the process of being decommissioned, the words of Donald Trump could make practical as well as political sense, but recent history teaches exactly the opposite, since in the last ten years the foundations of USA in Italy have had growing importance. This organization began with bilateral agreements Born-Sofaacronym of Status of forces agreementliterally «Convention on the Status of Troops» signed a London on June 19th 1951 and ratified in 1955treaty governing the legal status of U.S. military personnel and their family members in Italy.
