Air Squad General Carlo Magrassi has handed over his post to Air Squad General Gabriele Salvestroni. Specifically, on 11 August last, Air Squad General Carlo Magrassi handed over the post of Deputy Commander of the C.S.A. to Air Squad General Gabriele Salvestroni, in order to take up the prestigious position of Head of the Minister of Defence's Cabinet. At the same time, the post of Chief of Staff of the C.S.A. was assumed on the same date by Air Brigade General Claudio Gabellini, formerly Head of the Force Generation and Operational Planning Department within the same C.S.A. staff body.
The Air Squad Command is hierarchically superior to the subordinate operational units and departments of the Italian Air Force – Intermediate Commands, Brigades, Wings, Airports, Flying Groups, Radar Groups.
The institutional task assigned to the High Command is to prepare these bodies so that they acquire and maintain the level of operational readiness and logistic autonomy necessary to achieve the objectives defined by the Armed Force. As part of the rationalisation process of the Armed Force, from 1st January 2011 the C.S.A. also assumed the functions of operational employment of subordinate units through the structure of the Air Operations Command (C.O.A.) in Poggio Renatico (Ferrara). Overall, the C.S.A. consists of 86 units, including Commands, Units and Training/Operational Support Bodies, distributed throughout the national territory, with an established strength of approximately 20,000 military and civilian personnel.
