Handover at the CFC of Milan

Thursday 14 July – at the “Sala della Vittoria Atlantica” of the 1st Air Region in the historic AM Palace in Milan, the handover ceremony took place between Air Division General Francesco Vestito, outgoing Commander, and Air Division General Luigi Del Bene, incoming Commander.

At the ceremony, presided over by the Commander of the Air Force, Air Force General Alberto Biavati, some civil, military and municipal authorities, as well as representatives of the Entities and Departments of the Milan Air Force Reserve and the Commanders of all the peripheral Operational Departments subordinate to the Command of the Combat Forces, participated.

General Vestido, in his farewell speech, addressing the participants, first addressed a “…felt appreciation for the staff of the Combat Forces Command who I had the privilege of commanding and that was shown Always ready to answer any kind of call, as true Professionals in every sense, in silence, always ready to act before speaking, putting the Faith and the Passion above any other issue… Thank you for being so kind!…”. He then recalled that “…in these years, despite the difficulties related to the health emergency, we, in fact, all did more and better with less, demonstrating on the field that we are truly made of strong material and offering the Air Force, and therefore the country, a wide range of solid operational capabilities, both old and new, both national and international, readily deployable, deployable and of absolute value such as the “Combat Air Power” as seen“Information Superiority“,“Strategic Awareness” and “Precision Engagement“,.. Finally, addressing the Wing Commanders who depend on the CFC, he concluded as follows: “… thanks to my Commanders, the actual core of the operational world of the Armed Forces, continue in this way, giving your Men and Women with your example the necessary point of reference for cohesion, sharing and participation…”

The incoming Commander, General Del Bene, then took the floor, and in expressing his gratitude to the SS.AA. of the Armed Forces for entrusting him with the leadership of the prestigious and delicate Command of the Combat Forces, he highlighted how “…The geo-strategic framework and the “operational environments” in which we are called upon to express our forces and capabilities as the Air Force (and specifically as CFC) are particularly complex, dynamic, volatile and, unfortunately, violent. In this context, we are required to prepare, generate and support the forces that will be deployed in operations and missions approved by Parliament. Our daily commitment is therefore focused on being READY and AVAILABLE, in order to generate the required effects effectively in order to remain relevant in the expression of the National and Allied Air Power.” Finally, addressing first the employees’ Squadron Commanders and then the CFC Staff, he concluded by saying: “It is likely that some processes will change…… What will not change is the continuity on the lines of effort masterfully drawn by General Vestito. I know I can count on a team of solid professionals who can make the difference through competence and courage, yes, but also through the ’heart“ and passion that must characterize every action and proposal we make towards the High Command and the subordinate Departments. After all, if you want to go fast you can go it alone, but if you want to go far you MUST go it together..…”.

The ceremony concluded with the intervention of General Biavati who, first of all, thanked General Vestito. “For the excellent work that all the Departments have been able to carry out under his wise and competent leadership. The numerous difficulties that the entire nation had to endure during the last period were faced and overcome brilliantly thanks to the continuous and constant commitment that the staff of the Air Force has demonstrated daily in carrying out their work in the service of the homeland.” Turning then to General Del Bene, he emphasized that “… your experience in the Armed Forces and the even more valuable one gained in inter-service contexts will be essential to support the fascinating challenges that the future holds for us. I am sure that, thanks to your fundamental work, the Air Force, even in the face of its centenary, will achieve even more ambitious goals.”.   

The Combat Forces Command has the mission of planning, standardizing, and supervising the training and deployment of the Air Force’s air tactical forces. Promote integration between different platforms and synergy with the land and maritime components, ensuring at all times the maximum readiness and effectiveness of Combat Airpower – in terms of Information Superiority, Strategic Awareness, Air Superiority and Precision Engagement – in any operational theater of deployment. It depends on it the 2nd Flight of Rivolto, the 4th Flight of Grosseto, the 6th Flight of Ghedi, the 32nd Flight of Amendola, the 36th Flight of Gioia del Colle, the 37th Flight of Trapani, the 51st Flight of Istrana, the Air Force Command of Aviano, the Airfield Detachment of Piacenza, the 313th Acrobatic Training Group and the Linate Linkage Squadron, for an organizational strength of approximately 7000 men and all the combat and reconnaissance aircraft of the Italian Air Force such as the F35, the Eurofighter, the Tornado in IDS and ECR versions, the AMX, the MB 339 and the Predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 remote-piloted aircraft, as well as liaison aircraft.