The annual meeting was held in the “Giulio Douhet” International Meeting Room of the Air Force Staff. Air Division General Giuliano De Carlo, Italian Military Representative on the Consortium and current Chairman, opened the proceedings by greeting his French and German counterparts. In addition to the national military delegates, representatives from the Directorate General for Aeronautical Armaments, the Logistic Command, and the “Centre International de Gestion des Materiels Atlantic” (CIGMA) attended the meeting. The Consortium, established in 1961 for the development, production and logistical support of the Br 1150 Atlantic aircraft and the first example of European defence cooperation, was the precursor to all modern international programmes. The effective cooperation that characterises it has enabled the creation of the first, and currently only, land-based aircraft expressly designed to operate at sea, which has been operational daily for 40 years and is approaching the milestone of 250,000 flying hours under the tricolour cockade. Although the Atlantic has completed much of its operational life, and preparations are underway for its replacement, it continues to receive unanimous praise for the operational results achieved, thanks to the active participation of the Consortium member states. During the meeting, General De Carlo handed over the current Chairmanship to the French Military Representative, Rear Admiral Philippe Bon. At the conclusion of the proceedings, in addition to the customary thanks, the foreign participants emphatically highlighted the warm welcome they received from the Air Force and the indelible memory of their visit, albeit brief, to the historic[...] section of Palazzo A.M., particularly to the Honour Staircase, the Hall of Heroes, and the Hall of the Madonna of Loreto.
