Less Resources, More Versatility

摘要

Following customary practice, in May the Italian Army published the "Army Report 2008", a wide-ranging and detailed document on the status of the Service. As in previous editions, the Report is available in both Italian and English, the only exception being the introduction by General Fabrizio Castagnetti, Chief of the Italian Army General Staff, which is in Italian only. This really is a pity, because it is this introduction that provides the most interesting food for thought.rnGen. Castagnetti stresses the adaptability the Italian Army has shown over the last few years in facing up to drastic changes. Though not explicitly stated, reference is clearly inferred to the rapid transition from a conscription-based to a fully professional army, just at a time when international commitments - from the Balkans to East Timor and Afghanistan - were becoming increasingly onerous. Amongst Italian Services, the Army had had the fewest opportunities to acquire experience in joint and combined operations, and this makes the internationally recognised success of the transformation effort all the more remarkable.