Scuola Militare Aeronautica “G. Douhet”: the Cadets of the Astro II Course take the oath, attended by Rauti, Portolano, Conserva, and Gianfranco Paglia

On Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Piazzale Bandiera of the Istituto di Scienze Militari Aeronautiche in Florence, the oath ceremony of the 33 Cadets of the 1st Course of the Scuola Militare Aeronautica “Giulio Douhet”, named Astro II, took place. For the young attendees of the Aeronautica Militare high school, the oath represented the act of pledging loyalty to the Republic, the institutions, and the values of service to the Nation.

The Defense leaders present in Florence

The day was presided over by the Undersecretary of State for Defense Senator Isabella Rauti and saw the presence of the Chief of Defense Staff Luciano Portolano, the Chief of Air Force Staff Antonio Conserva, and Lieutenant Colonel Gianfranco Paglia, Gold Medal for Military Valor. The joint presence of the main civil and military authorities gave the ceremony a strong institutional significance, confirming the attention given to the education of new generations. Gianfranco Paglia opened the speeches, thanking the cadets “for what you will do for our beloved Homeland and especially for how you will do it,” recalling the values of duty, honor, and personal responsibility.

The message to the new generations

In her speech, Isabella Rauti described the oath as a true “military baptism,” emphasizing that it is a personal choice but also a commitment shared with the School and with Italy. She reminded the young people that from this moment they no longer represent only themselves, but the Defense, the Institutions, the Nation, and the Tricolor. General Luciano Portolano recalled the figure of Giulio Douhet, remembering him as a visionary capable of understanding the strategic role of air dominance, which is even more central today in a context marked by drones, hypersonic missiles, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare. In the same vein, General Antonio Conserva invited the cadets to cultivate vision and discipline, essential elements to face the future.

Astro II inaugurates a new historical phase

The 2026 ceremony also had a profound symbolic value. Since 2006, the Douhet courses have been identified, following the alphabetical order, with names inspired by mythological figures or celestial bodies: Astro, Bora, Crono, Dardo, Espero, Fides, Ghibli, Iris, Lyra, Mito, Nadir, Omega, Perseo, Rigel, Sirio, Taurus, Ursa, Vega, and Zenit. With the oath of Astro II, a first historical cycle is ideally closed, and a new phase begins, inaugurating the second generation of the Institute's tradition. During the Course Baptism, the cadets inherited the pennant and the historical motto “Multi Radii Una Lux”, meaning “Many rays, one light,” symbolizing the union of different talents oriented towards a common goal.

The flyover of the Frecce Tricolori and the role of Douhet

Making the solemn act of the oath even more impressive was the flyover of the National Aerobatic Team, a symbol of excellence of Italian aviation and ambassador of the Tricolor worldwide. Today, the Douhet School hosts 88 cadets and is a secondary school accessible through a public competition, with about 800 applications annually. Students attend classical and scientific courses within a path that combines academic education, military training, sports activities, character growth, and international openness through language study and teamwork. The oath of the Astro II Course thus represents the official entry of a new generation of young Italians into a path founded on merit, responsibility, and service to the Country.