U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said his meetings earlier today with top officials in Rome were “productive” and discussions included the security partnership between the U.S. and Italy and the two nations’ shared resolve to confront challenges in the changing strategic environment.
Carter was speaking to the media during a joint press conference with Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti, following meetings with her and with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The defense secretary is visiting Italy as part of a five-day trip to Europe to attend the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels and to meet with counterparts in Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
As President Barack Obama said during his April visit to Italy, Carter said, “Italy is one of our closest and strongest allies. It’s a critical partner for the United States and a steadfast anchor for NATO's southern flank.”
Italy’s Contributions
Italy is active around the world, the secretary added, from leading efforts in North Africa and contributing to NATO's Baltic air policing mission to commanding forces in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Lebanon and Iraq.
On his first day in Italy, Carter and Pinotti visited Naval Air Station Sigonella -- a U.S. Navy installation at NATO Base Sigonella, and an Italian Air Force base -- in eastern Sicily.
Italy hosts nearly 2,000 American service members and their families at the base along with other NATO forces, Carter said.
“This strategically important base serves as a launch pad for some of our most agile forces that conduct crisis response, theater security cooperation and reconnaissance missions in Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean,” he added.
Transforming NATO
The secretary said Sigonella next summer will host the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance system.
The AGS consists of five Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft and command-and-control base stations. NATO will operate and maintain the system on behalf of its 28 allies, fifteen of whom acquired the system for the alliance.
The system, Carter said, “will provide NATO with transformational intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets that will benefit all allies, including those here in the southern flank.”
Italy also is hosting, with Spain and Portugal, exercise Trident Juncture 2015, the largest NATO exercise in more than a decade, Carter said. The exercise began Oct. 3 and involves more than 36,000 personnel from 30 NATO and partner nations.
Common Defense
Trident Juncture will test a range of capabilities, including those of the Very-High-Readiness Joint Task Force, which Italy has offered to lead in the future.
The VJTF will consist of about 5,000 multinational troops with up to five battalions supported by air, maritime and special operations forces. According to NATO, some elements pf the VJTF will be ready to respond within two to three days, at the first warnings and indicators of potential threats.
“Today’s security environment requires the kind of strong and principled security cooperation we share with Italy and all of our fellow NATO allies,” Carter said.
Italy understands the need to invest in the people and capabilities required to maintain its historic role across the globe and our common defense, the secretary added, “as we work together with our NATO allies to confront all the threats we face from the south and the east and across the globe.”
(Follow Cheryl Pellerin on Twitter: @PellerinDoDNews)