Within the setting of “San Giusto” Airport in Pisa, home of the 46th Air Brigade, the ceremony of Handover at the Air Squad Command leadership between Air Squad General Gianni Candotti, outgoing, and Air Squadron General Alberto Biavati, successor. The ceremony was presided over by Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Luca Goretti and it was further enhanced by the participation of numerous civil, religious and military authorities, including the President of the Regional Council of Tuscany, the Prefect of Pisa and the Deputy Mayor of the City of Pisa.
It General Candotti, who was appointed “Counsellor for Military Affairs of the President of the Republic” on 26 February, Sergio Mattarella, opened his farewell speech by emphasising how: “The first thought goes to our Flag and to our fallen heroes who sacrificed their most precious possession in service to the Country to give us a stable and secure future..He continued, highlighting that ”when you see on television An Italian Air Force weapon system operating amidst the miseries of the world, sometimes it would seem easy and obvious to think that that system is in the right place at the right time due to normal activities, in reality, Behind the scenes, there is an enormous amount of work and personal sacrifice., various inconveniences, missed family occasions, uncelebrated holidays, interrupted or foregone holidays”Finally, he wanted to thank“all the women and men of the Air Support Command who have been the material and conceptual engine of all our endeavours, a fundamental pillar without which our sophisticated systems could not operate.”
It General Biavati, in turn, expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Superior Authorities in entrusting him with the prestigious and demanding role, also wanted to pay a respectful salute to the Flag and to the fallen. He then highlighted how “The Air Squad Command is the most “populous” High Command of the Air Force and the one equipped with the vast majority of aircraft and equipment. I will make every effort to ensure that my daily activities, which I will base on honesty, consistency, fairness, and example, allow us to prepare, arrange, and train personnel and equipment, and then to exercise them. Command and control, with maximum effectiveness and safety, in every operational context”Finally, turning to the staff, he asked to“to continue to express at your best your extraordinary professionalism and humanity, which has enabled our compatriots to date, and not just to them, you can rely on the Air Force 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, In any eventuality, in any weather, overcoming every human difficulty.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General of the Air Force Luca Goretti, after greeting the civilian and military authorities and paying homage to the War Flag of the 46th Air Brigade, wished to highlight the importance of the moment of transition at the head of the Air Force. He thanked General Candotti for the important objectives and notable results achieved during his period of command and expressed his best wishes for the future to General Biavati. The complicated geopolitical situation, which in recent years has been characterised first by the pandemic and then by the Ukraine-Russia crisis, has seen the Air Force play a leading role in the most significant events, and General Goretti, during his speech, emphasised the role played by the High Command, stating that “The Air Squad Command is the operational arm through which the Air Force expresses aerospace power., in all its distinct variations and competencies, to operate effectively in current scenarios in full synergy and unity of purpose with the other armed forces. In addition to air defence, air transport and emergency air ambulance services, and SAR rescue in all conditions, it is important to highlight the effective use of our assets in the airlift to Afghanistan during the ’Operation Eagle All”, admirably managed by the Aerospace Operations Command of Poggio Renatico, during which the crews of the 46th Air Brigade, who are hosting us today, played a generously decisive role in the successful outcome of the mission. At this moment, moreover, other events see us involved with the Air Squad Command once again at the forefront: I refer to the mission of “Air Policing”to protect the Alliance's borders", drammatically on the agenda due to the tragic events that have been shaking Ukraine for over a month now.”
