In the Salone dei Cinquecento, in Palazzo Vecchio, a day dedicated to the history of the Air Force, with interventions by experts from the military, academic and journalistic world
It was the extraordinary Salone dei Cinquecento, in the heart of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, that hosted on Wednesday, February 15, the first of the major events as part of the celebrations marking the Centenary of the Constitution of the Armed Forces, which will take place on March 28, 2023.
A journey that could not fail to begin with history, with that thin thread that links the events to the men and women who were protagonists, and in many cases to the sacrifice of their own lives.
A historical symposium that, taking up the Centenary motto “in flight towards the future”, aimed to trace, together with experts from the military, academic and journalistic world, the most significant moments of these first one hundred years of the Armed Forces‘ history: from its origins, closely linked to the pioneers of flight, to the astonishing developments of the aircraft of the early 20th century, up to the role and capabilities that the Air Force is able to express today at national and international level, with a focus on the new domains of the aerospace and cyber dimensions.
At the event, organized by the Institute of Military Aeronautics Sciences in Florence, the top leadership of the Armed Forces, the highest local authorities, and a large number of representatives of secondary school students from all over the country took part.
The guests of honor were the President of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani, and the Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, who emphasized the indissoluble bond between the Tuscan capital and the Air Force and thanked the Armed Forces for choosing Florence as the exceptional location for the first major celebration event of the Centenary.
The event in Florence, in the name of Leonardo da Vinci, is the first of many events that the Armed Forces have planned for this 2023 to tell their own story, but with a firmly focused gaze on the future, especially – as emphasized by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Luca Goretti – on the younger generations. “History is the key element that makes a people grow – he said – studying history allows us to remember the values and traditions of our aeronautical past, to understand the present and to project ourselves into the future with greater awareness. Our strength has always been in daring to do things, and to the young people and students here I say: learn to dare, look ahead with courage, with a spirit of teamwork, motivation, and a hunger for culture.”.
The historical symposium retraced the most significant moments of the first one hundred years of the Air Force’s existence, through six discussion panels featuring contributions from experts from the military, academia, and the media.
1. The origins of flight: from Leonardo da Vinci to the Wright brothers
“We are about to tell the story of man’s journey towards flight, a path that originated in a historical phase where stepping off the ground for man seemed impossible, something that would never have been possible; yet, at some point, something changed.” With these words, Alessadro Barbero, professor at the University of Piemonte Orientale, opened the first discussion panel of the event, of which he was the moderator. “In this primordial phase of aviation, numerous flight attempts were developed by man,” continued Alberto Angela, paleontologist and one of the most renowned scientific divulgators in our country, “but we reached the result only when three fundamental elements aligned: ingenuity, materials, and courage.”
It is impossible, in retracing the development of flight, not to dwell on “one of the most complex figures in the history of humanity, a perfect union between art and science, as was that of Leonardo” continued Dr. Roberta Barsanti, director of the Museum and Library of Leonardo in Vinci “his studies of the solar systems and the flight of birds, the construction of various flying machines, the design of the hang glider, not only fascinated, but left a fundamental contribution to the studies on flight in the centuries that followed.”
The first panel was closed by First Lieutenant Michele Palumbo, of the Experimental Flight Department in Pratica di Mare, with a technical analysis of the “heaviest of the air”, the first motorized aircraft built and lifted into the air in 1903 by the Wright brothers. “That first airplane, named Flyer, made a leap of 37 meters in 12 seconds, a leap that changed the history of man forever.”
Watch the live recording of the intervention, Click here
2. Aviation companies and records
The second panel of discussion of the Symposium, moderated by Flavia Giacobbe, director of the magazines “Formiche” and “Air Press”, wanted to recount the glorious achievements achieved by the Italians in the first post-war period, illustrating the aspects of the flight profile and the logistical aspects, including the support of naval means.
“Today we tend to consider 1923 as the year of its beginning, the year of the foundation of the Air Force – began Prof. Gregory Alegi, journalist and military history professor – but at the time it was considered the final moment of a long debate that began already during the First World War, in which it was understood that aviation deserved its own greater autonomy and independence as an Armed Force.”.
Not for nothing, “if it is true that the Wright brothers invented the airplane, the Great War invented aviation,” continued General S.A. (r) Alberto Rosso, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, recounting the effort made by the Armed Forces to achieve their own autonomy and the difficulties encountered by the Royal Air Force in its early years. “But these are also the years of great achievements – concluded General Rosso – Italy is a protagonist and achieves incredible results.”.
To conclude the intervention of Vincenzo Grienti, journalist and historian, with a review of the major aviation enterprises of the time, from the crashed flight to the High-Speed Department, from the legendary Schneider Cup to the feat of the transatlantic flight. “The period between the two wars was an exciting one, in which Italy projected itself into the future, presenting itself abroad primarily through its aviation industry.”
Watch the live recording of the intervention, Click here
3. Aeronautical Engineering – Focus on Guidoni and Broglio
The third panel, dedicated to two engineer generals who were the first in the Air Force to explore pioneering and innovative solutions, was moderated by Gianandrea Gaiani, Director of Defense Analysis and expert in historical-strategic analysis. ’Alessandro Guidoni was an extraordinary figure who left an indelible mark in the history of the Air Force,“ stated in his opening remarks General Giuseppe Lupoli, Chief of the Air Corps and Director of the Department of Armaments and Aeronautics of the Ministry of Defense. ”A scientist, an expert in aeronautical engineering, a pilot and tester of both aircraft and hydrofoils, Guidoni was a man who, even back then, grasped elements that today, after 100 years, we still consider of fundamental importance.’
Giovanni Caprara, a journalist for the Corriere della Sera, instead painted a portrait of Luigi Broglio, a professor and General who, sixty years ago, was responsible for the first launch of a satellite for our country. “People like Broglio – Caprara pointed out – had the courage to undertake undertakings that seemed impossible and were driven by an unbridled passion for what they were doing.”
“Innovation and technology have always been the common denominator of Leonardo and the Italian Air Force,” stated Lucio Valerio Cioffi, General Manager of Leonardo, at the panel’s conclusion. “The continued collaboration and constant sharing of knowledge have led to important results over the years, enabling both parties to grow and move forward into the future.”
Watch the live recording of the intervention, Click here
4. The events that made history: the Gulf War
“The Gulf War represented a turning point in modern history, a watershed, just as 11 September will be. The world before 1990, when Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded Kuwait, was a world that emerged from a conflict, that Cold War that many considered the end of history. That world could not imagine what it was actually facing’: with these words, Toni Capuozzo, war correspondent and deputy director of TG5 Mediaset, opened the fourth panel, dedicated precisely to the participation of the Air Force in the Gulf War. At the center of the intervention were the testimonies of General Mario Arpino, former Chief of Staff of the Defense and Air Force, and at the time in charge of the AM contingent engaged in the operations, and of General Gianmarco Bellini, who, as is well known, was the pilot of the Tornado that was shot down by Iraqi anti-aircraft fire on the night between January 17 and 18, 1991.
In analyzing the difficulties of such a complex operational scenario, with all the challenges imposed by a theater of operations far away from Italy both culturally and geographically, Eng. Enzo Benigni, president of Elettronica, emphasized that “the Gulf War was the beginning of change and the redemption of the Italian and European Defense. Again, in conducting a conflict, the air force had demonstrated its key role: that new awareness would lead, in the years that followed, to the development of a 4th-generation aircraft line, as was the case with the Eurofighter.”
Watch the live recording of the intervention, Click here
5. The Defense of Italian Airspace and NATO from the Postwar Period to the Present Day
The fifth panel, moderated by journalist Maria Latella, focused on the evolution and importance of a political and military pact, the Atlantic Alliance, which, more than 70 years after its inception, appears to be more crucial for global security and stability than ever before.
General Giuseppe Mega, Commander of the Airspace Control Brigade of the Air Operations Command at Poggio Renatico, and Lt Col Michele Nasto, of the 4th Department of the Air Force General Staff, offered important insights on emerging challenges within and outside NATO, in light of the changing global strategic landscape.
At the conclusion of the intervention, General S.A. (r) Leonardo Tricarico, previously Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Military Advisor to the Council of Ministers, in illustrating the current and future importance of Italy in the international arena, highlighted that “today, the Air Force has an extraordinary Air Defense system, in which a process of continuous improvement is underway that will soon lead Italy to become an increasingly leading country, increasingly integrated into this ‘extended team’ that can be considered NATO.”.
Watch the live recording of the intervention, Click here
6. The aerospace dimension: testimony from astronauts
The sixth and final panel, moderated by journalist Vittorio Argento, was dedicated to flight beyond the atmosphere, that aerospace dimension that, as the motto of the Air Force also states, “Virtute Siderum Tenus”, has always represented the natural vocation of the Armed Forces since its inception.
Mr. Giorgio Saccoccia, President of the Italian Space Agency, introduced the discussion, highlighting the historical and fruitful relationship of collaboration between ASI and the Italian Air Force, which has been able to give a concrete boost to the entire space sector at a national level, especially in the fields of research and innovation.
Two important testimonies in this context: that of Commander Maurizio Cheli, former test pilot officer at the Experimental Flight Department of the Italian Air Force and then astronaut of the European Space Agency, for which he participated in 1996 in the STS-75 mission of the Space Shuttle program, the first Italian to hold the position of Mission Specialist on the Columbia Shuttle.
Following this, the intervention of Brigadier General Roberto Vittori, also a test pilot of the RSV at the beginning of his career and then selected as an astronaut in 1998 by the Italian Space Agency. During his career, General Vittori participated in three space missions: in 2002 he took part in the Marco Polo mission to the International Space Station; in 2005 he participated in a second taxi flight, the Eneide mission, piloting a Soyuz TMA5 spacecraft, becoming the first European astronaut to obtain the Soyuz commander qualification; in 2011, finally, he took off on the Shuttle STS-134 mission in the role of Mission Specialist.
The two exceptional speakers, with their testimonies, wanted to describe the many emotions, from fear to discovery, experienced while flying beyond the atmosphere.
”We have tried to condense, in one day, a journey that lasted a hundred years where the fundamental basis is called passion, the desire to dare, research and curiosity,” reiterated General Goretti at the conclusion of the event. “Space is our future, it is your future,” continued the Chief of Staff addressing the numerous young people present, “we have the obligation to pass on to you the utmost of our knowledge, our opportunities and our gratitude to all those who, over these hundred years, have enabled the Air Force and the Department of Defense to become great through teamwork with Industry, Universities and Research.’.
Watch the live recording of the intervention, Click here
