After three years in command of the Deployable Air Command Control Centre, General Claudio Gabellini is leaving the NATO body to the Dutchman Denny Traas
At the Aerospace Operations Command of Poggio Renatico, the handover ceremony took place at Deployable Air Command Control Centre (DACCC) between the Air Vice Marshal Claudio Gabellini, outgoing, and the Dutch Air Vice Marshal Denny Traas, subsequent.
The ceremony was presided over by the American Commander Jeff Harrigian of the NATO Air Force Command (AIRCOM), based in Ramstein, Germany, in the presence of NATO civil and military authorities and in compliance with COVID-19 pandemic containment measures.
In the farewell speech, the General Gabellini he emphasised how, despite the last two years having been characterised by the worldwide presence of the pandemic, the Command DACCC he was never caught unprepared, but responded quickly to all the Alliance's requests whenever the need arose. This“as a demonstration of the high level of professionalism and preparation of the DACCC's international personnel, who have always shown resilience even in the most difficult moments, and also as proof of NATO's cohesion and readiness to respond”.
Indeed, the Deployable Air Control Centre, Recognized Air Picture Production Centre and Sensor Fusion Post (DARS) of Poggio Renatico has been deployed over the last three years for the first time in Romania and Greece, adding to the already periodic deployments in Italy. To this must be added the delivery to the DACCC of a new deployable, next-generation radar with capabilities Mode 5, which makes Poggio Renatico the only NATO base with such capabilities.
The General Gabellini will still remain in Poggio Renatico at the helm of the Aerospace Operations Command of the’Italian Air Force.
The General Traas, in his inaugural speech, wanted to emphasise the ever-inspired and motivated Leadership of General Gabellini, underlining in turn all the milestones achieved by the DACCC over the last three years, which has always managed to demonstrate resilience, competence and expertise, bringing its output operational anytime, anywhere.
The General Traas he has been the Head of the Operations Department of the from mid-2019 until today Royal Netherlands Air Force (Royal Netherlands Air Force) and will remain in command NATO of Poggio Renatico for the next three years.
The ceremony concluded with a speech by the AIRCOM Commander, Gen. Jeff Harrigian, who in his speech wished to emphasise “the General's leadership Gabellini over the last three years she has been instrumental in driving forward improvements to the redeployment capability of NATO's air surveillance and control system“, emphasising how“having the ability to rapidly deploy experienced personnel and equipment to control the Alliance's air operations is essential for deterrence and defence in the Euro-Atlantic theatre”.
The DACCC, which includes international personnel from 16 nations including Italy, provides an out-of-area projection capability for the surveillance and control of the Alliance's air operations. Its mission is to prepare personnel to be ready to deploy worldwide and to provide well-trained and specialised experts to augment the air operations command and control capabilities of AIRCOM in Germany during allied operations and exercises.
