With the opening ceremony held on the afternoon of Monday 10 March in San Candidoofficially opened White Fox 2025the leading international snow exercise organised by the Italian Army Alpine Troops Command. The event, which will run until 15 March, is part of a broader framework: the development and consolidation of the Arctic and sub-Arctic operational capacity of the Armed Force.
A strategic projection towards the North
The rapidly changing global geopolitical scenario will continue to push the world's major powers to look at the Arctic as a new frontier of strategic competition. In this context, Italy will launch a plan to increase its capabilities to intervene in extreme environments, taking advantage of the experience of the Alpine Troopstraditionally trained in mountain combat, as a forerunner for the necessary doctrinal and technological evolution.
The Chief of Army Staff, General of Army Corps Carmine Masiello, will speak at theArctic Forum Dolomites 2025where he will emphasise how 'today's changes are unusually rapid and have a disruptive effect', imposing a 'new emphasis on technology-driven force building'. In this scenario, he will state that 'the Arctic region will be at the centre of a major strategic competition in the coming years, foreshadowing new geopolitical challenges and economic opportunities'.
Over 1,300 military personnel in action in the White Fox
White Fox 2025 will involve more than 1,300 military personnelbelonging to the 15 regiments of the Julia and Taurinense Alpine Brigades, at Alpine Training Centre and other specialised branches of the Army, including the 9th Rhombus Regiment for cybersecurity, the 4th Regiment Alpini Parachutists, the 4th AVES Altair Regimentas well as international assets from allied countries.
La Val Pusteria, in the heart of the Dolomites, will prove to be the ideal theatre to test operational skills that will require high standards of physical endurance and technical mastery in extreme climatic conditions, anticipating the contexts that will characterise future military operations in the Arctic theatres.
A varied programme: between technology and Alpine tradition
On Monday, 10 March, the opening ceremony took place at San Candidoofficially kicked off the exercise. In this first phase, the participating departments completed their acclimatisation activities and checked the efficiency of the technical and logistical materials, which are essential for the subsequent manoeuvres at high altitude.
On Tuesday, 11 March, the first tactical reconnaissance and patrolling exercises took place in snowy and extremely cold conditions, with a focus on the integration between operational units and the advanced technological systems provided by the 9th Rhombus Regiment and from the 4th Altair Regiment. The units tested the use of tactical drones for territorial control and secure communication systems in mountainous environments.
In the following days, the White Fox exercise system will be developed in three main modules:
- Arctic Shieldan opposing party exercise that will integrate skills Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) and will see the use of drones, electronic warfare systems and cutting-edge technology. The 9th Rhombus Regiment will have the task of enabling the manoeuvre of troops on the ground, coordinating the actions of the 3rd Regiment Alpini and other departments employed.
- Ice Patrola three-day patrol competition designed to test the Alpine troops' skills of endurance, orientation and survival.
- Ice Challengea ski mountaineering trial organised in a relay, which will aim to maintain and strengthen the skiing skills of the staff in view of international events, such as the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
There will also be a focus on inclusion, thanks to the participation of staff Paralympic of Defence, who will be involved in sports and training events, enriching the human value of the initiative.
Arctic Forum Dolomites 2025: strategic thinking meets innovation
The 13 Marchthe highlight day of the exercise, theArctic Forum Dolomites 2025an international conference that will be attended by experts, military and institutional representatives. The work will be divided into three thematic panels:
- Geopolitical interests and challenges in the Arctic
- Strategic approaches to security and defence
- Multi-domain technologies for materials and equipment in polar operations
The work will be concluded by Undersecretary of Defence Isabella Rauti and from the Chief of EMS General Carmine Masiellowhich will emphasise the centrality of a systemic and integrated approach between the components of the country system. As General Masiello put it, 'the challenge of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic will not be without continuous evolution. Never stopping'.
