The military is not enough: Masiello calls on industry and academia

From trench warfare to hypersonic drones. The battlefield of the future is no longer just a prediction, but a rapidly changing reality that demands immediate and coordinated responses. This is the message that emerged from the conference 'An upward glance into the battlefield of the future'organised by the CeSI – Centro Studi Internazionali chaired by Andrea Margelletti, in cooperation with Rheinmetall Italia.

A multi-voiced reflection between representatives of the armed forces, industry and academia, held on 26 March, outlined a clear picture: the technological war has already begun and Italy must equip itself in time if it wants to hold its own.

Masiello: 'Our gaze is upwards'

Opening the proceedings was General Carmine Masiello, Chief of Staff of the Army, who pointed out how the posture of the modern soldier has changed: 'Until a few years ago, in Afghanistan, we were terrified of what was beneath our feet. Today, in Ukraine, our gaze is upwards'. Drones have made airspace a hostile environment, radically changing the perception of danger.

For Masiello, the return to trench warfare coexists with a technological race: 'We are retraining soldiers to fight in the trenches, but at the same time we are working to close the technological gap with the other armed forces. We can no longer be just boots and rucksacks'.

The general appealed to industry and academia for full synergy: 'Today, more than ever, we need a country system. The Army has launched a substantial rearmament programme, but we cannot do everything on our own. It is not only the military that goes to war: the whole country goes.

Ercolani (Rheinmetall): 'The threat comes from the sky'

The industrial sector also took stock of the new challenges. Alessandro ErcolaniCEO of Rheinmetall Italia, emphasised the emergence of new players on the international scene, capable of innovating at speeds unthinkable for traditional industry. "It's not just Palantir and Leonardo. We are mapping start-ups such as White Stork, founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Helsing, which is already worth 5 billion'.

Ercolani reiterated the urgency of adjusting production: 'We used to produce 500,000 155 mm bullets per year. Now we need 5 million, but demand is even higher. Russia can launch 10,000 drones a day. No western industry is ready for these numbers'.

Particular attention was paid to the topic of drones, with new unprecedented threats: 'Today, there are wire-controlled drones, never seen before. China is developing drones that imitate the flight of birds, capable of fooling our sensors'.

Cossiga (MBDA): 'Europe cannot afford sluggishness'

Also Giuseppe Cossiga, Director of Institutional Relations of MBDA Italy and President of AIAD, pointed the finger at the slowness of the European system. "We are moving too slowly. In France there is open talk of a war economy. In Italy no, but the situation is the same. We need engineers, we need investments, we need a new defence culture'.

Cossiga also recalled the risks of the current scenario: 'A battery designed to counter hypersonic threats can be put out of action by a swarm of small drones. We must change the paradigm'.

Tomassetti: 'We need a long-term vision'

Admiral Marco Tomassetti, Head of the 3rd Industrial Policy Department of the Defence General Secretariat, insisted on the need to anticipate threats. "It is easy to say today that drones are a threat. But defence is built in peacetime. We need industrial planning based on clear requirements'.

Tomassetti also defended the principle of the technological sovereigntybased on three pillars: freedom of use, freedom of modification e freedom of export. And he criticised the fragmentation of the European industrial system: 'Cooperation is essential, but it must start from common foundations. Otherwise it remains only on paper'.

Pisciotta: 'Integrated planning is needed'

On the military planning side, General Bruno Pisciotta, Head of the General Planning Department of the Defence General Staff, announced the imminent publication of the new strategic planning: 'We will give the industry quantitative and qualitative requirements. We need to know what we need, and with what timeframe. Only then can we have a real industrial ramp-up'.

According to Pisciotta, the future battlefield will require capabilities to operate not only above ground, but also underground. "It is time to provide the industry with the guidelines to build the systems of tomorrow.

Margelletti: 'There is no more time'

To close the proceedings, Andrea Margellettipresident of CeSI and advisor to the Minister of Defence, issued a clear warning: 'We are running out of time. The industry must not wait until it rains to start building umbrellas. The money is there, the threats too. Now we need vision and courage'.

Margelletti recalled that the conflicts of the recent past had a logic, but today the scenario has changed: 'Heavy warfare is back. We can no longer prevaricate.

Source: https://formiche.net/2025/03/droni-ipersonici-guerra-elettronica-il-nuovo-volto-del-campo-di-battaglia/#content