On Wednesday, 17 December, the inauguration ceremony of the new headquarters of the “Mario de Bernardi” military airport in Pratica di Mare took place.’Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) of the Italian Air Force.
The event was presided over by Commander of the Air Squad – 1st Air Region, Air Marshal Silvano Frigerio and it took place in the presence of the Commander of’Air and Space Warfare Centre, the Air Brigadier General Igor Bruni and of the Commander of the Aeronautical and Space Experimental Air Division (DASAS), Air Divisional General Luciano Ippoliti.
Established on 22 September 2025 and reporting to the Air Force Command's Staff, the Centre was founded to provide the Italian Air Force with integrated consultancy aimed at the success of present and future air and space operations. The ASWC guarantees a dynamic view of operational scenarios, supporting the decision-making process through four fundamental pillars: the Think, dedicated to the analysis of requirements and operational concepts; the Test, focused on verifying the effectiveness of capabilities in controlled environments; the Tactics, where experimental results become concrete procedures for the Departments; and finally the Train, which ensures the assimilation of tactics through training programmes and Weapons Instructor Courses.
This operational cycle is the backbone of military innovation, enabling the Armed Force to adapt quickly to evolving threats. In addition to doctrine development, the Centre contributes to the definition of future weapon systems, manages standardisation and evaluation processes (STANEVALe opera come Weapons School, preparing crews for operations Joint e Multi Domain.
The new ASWC headquarters has been established through the recovery and renovation of an existing building on the site. This project involved the 208th Detached Technical Infrastructure Service (STDI), DASAS, the Automated Information Systems Department (ReSIA), the Command and Control Systems Management and Innovation Department (ReGISCC), and the General Security Department (RGS).
In his first speech as Commander of the newly established Centre, the Air Brigadier General Igor Bruni he highlighted the symbolic value of the date, recalling the 122 years since the first flight of the Wright brothers: “A new chapter is definitively beginning for the Armed Forces. We are at the start and operating like a start-up, aware of the enormous responsibility entrusted to us.”. Addressing the staff, he then described them as excellent professionals who operate with “humility and ruthless technical competence”.
During the ceremony, it was revealed the Coat of arms of ASWC, whose heraldry synthesises the Centre's values: global projection, aerospace supremacy, decision-making capability represented by the vertical gladius and the link to the historical heritage of lessons learned.
In conclusion, the Air Force Corps General Silvano Frigerio He mapped out the future course: “I see this building as a workshop to create the right synergy between all the Armed Forces bodies, a battle lab aimed at optimising operational capabilities. The path identified between now and a year from now is ambitious, but it will allow us to create that virtuous transformation the Armed Forces need to keep up with the times.”.
The ceremony then concluded with the traditional ribbon-cutting and the signing of the Centre's Honour Book, the first since its establishment, by the Air Squad Commander – 1st Air Region, Air Squad General Silvano Frigerio.
