In the new episode of State Sicuri, the Adnkronos video podcast dedicated to security issues, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General of the Army Corps Carmine Masiello, offered a comprehensive reflection on major international scenarios and the transformation of the Italian Armed Forces.
From the threat of drones to the challenge of artificial intelligence, and the relationship with the defense industry, Masiello outlined a clear path: the Army must become increasingly technological, operational, and close to the citizens.
An Unstable Scenario and Cognitive Warfare
According to the general, the current international context is marked by conventional conflicts and new forms of warfare. Ukraine and the Middle East represent the closest theaters, but tensions touch every corner of the globe: from the Indo-Pacific to Africa, from the Arctic to Eastern Europe.
“In Ukraine, three wars coexist: the trench war, which we thought was outdated; the technological war, with the massive use of drones; and the cognitive war, the most insidious, which enters homes and influences public opinions and politics.”
Precisely cognitive warfare, Masiello observes, is the challenge that concerns everyone: the battle for minds and the collective resilience of Western societies.
Defense Culture and New Army Model
One of the central points of the intervention was the relationship between citizens and national defense. Masiello emphasized how only one in five Italians today declares themselves willing to fight for the country.
“The defense of the homeland is a sacred duty of every citizen – he recalled quoting the Constitution – and if Italy were to find itself at war, it would not be just the Army fighting, but the entire nation.”
The conflict in Ukraine has brought the Army back to dealing with conventional scenarios: tanks, artillery, armed helicopters, and air defense are back at the center of training. But the transformation, the general insists, is above all cultural: “The Army must be technological or it is not. We can no longer afford to fall behind.”
Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, and Drones
To stimulate change, Masiello introduced initiatives such as “less bureaucracy”, “zero distance”, and meetings “a coffee with the boss”, tools to listen to soldiers, reduce hierarchical distances, and foster the birth of innovative ideas.
Great attention is paid to artificial intelligence, now integrated into command and control systems, training schools, and even weapon systems: “AI saves lives because a robot can replace a soldier in high-risk tasks.”
The issue of drones remains the most urgent: “Technology changes every few months, and the only way to counter drones is with other drones. It will be a fight between robots, supported by electronic warfare, missiles, and machine guns. For this reason, we are training a large number of operators.”
Synergy with the Defense Industry
Finally, the Chief of Staff highlighted the increasingly close collaboration with the national industry: “There is no longer a barrier between us and them. We define requirements, work together, speak the same language.”
Concrete examples are the new rifle in service and the next attack helicopter, fruits of constant dialogue and synergy that, according to Masiello, “is essential to respond to future challenges and that other countries look at with interest.”
The general's final message is clear: the Army must be not only an armed force but “a force loved by Italians”, capable of representing a shared resource for the entire community.
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