SEGRETARIATO GENERALE DELLA DIFESADIREZIONE NAZIONALE DEGLI ARMAMENTI

Tratto dal discorso del Presidente della Repubblica sul tema:

se pensiamo a quel che rappresenta il suo bagaglio di esperienze storiche, di prove creat ive sul piano polit ico e

Giorgio NapolitanoPresidente della Repubblica

The following passage has been extracted from the lecture by the President of the Republic on the topic:

International Institute for Strategic Studies, London 19 May 2009

human capital and of social solidarit y. That is what enables Europe to make today a decisive cont ribut ion to the process of rethinking and reshaping development and the international order, as the depth and complexity of the

Giorgio NapolitanoPresident of the Republic

La rilevanza st rategica che la ricerca tecnologica ha assunto per la Difesa, non solo in ambito nazionale, ma nel

Da sempre investire in ricerca costituisce il motore principale dello sviluppo economico, sociale e culturale di un

come elemento imprescindibile per la crescita in ambito Difesa e va considerato un patrimonio da salvaguardare e tutelare. Questo soprattutto in considerazione della costante trasformazione che sta interessando gli strumenti

soluzioni innovative provenienti della ricerca civile. -

di impiego ed una maggiore spinta al mondo imprenditoriale e della grande industria.

Ignazio La RussaMinistro della Difesa

but also in the more global one, has required adequate investment, both in terms of human potential and in terms of economic resources. This has enabled us to plan and carry out intensive work including the synergic activity of different institutions and bodies: universities, industries, governmental and non-governmental research centres.

and provide the Armed Forces with the most appropriate instruments for carrying out future good plans. Investing in research has always represented the driving force behind the economic, social and cultural development of a country and it has also been the power behind the evolution of military world.

Therefore, technological research in key sectors, such as computer science, electronics and automation, lays the foundations for the growth in the Defence context today and is regarded as heritage that must be preserved and protected. This is an important aspect especially in consideration of the constant transformation of military tools,

-nological research in the Defence context and, above all, it s reversibil it y. Not only do the result s of military experimentat ion exert a profound impact on the civil ian context , but several devises from civil ian research are used in the military sector. The Research & Technology activities must be regarded as a precious resource for our

the chance of creating new jobs and giving entrepreneurial activity and big industries a major boost.

Ignazio La RussaMinister of Defence

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della sicurezza e della Difesa per rispondere in qualsiasi momento in maniera adeguata ad ogni possibile minaccia.

sinergico tra diversi attori coordinati a livello nazionale dal Segretariato Generale della Difesa/Direzione Naziona-le degli Armamenti attraverso il Piano Nazionale della Ricerca Militare, che costituisce parte integrante del Piano

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Lo sviluppo delle sinergie a diversi livelli si rivela un elemento decisivo per il potenziamento delle forze disponibili

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Il Segretariato Generale della Difesa/ DNA, in quanto responsabile del coordinamento degli sforzi nel set tore,

Generale C.A. Aldo CinelliSegretario Generale della Difesa/DNA

Technological research is the substance of evolution and progress of our country, both at economic and industrial levels and in the Defence context. The diverse nature of international operations and the complexity of more and more different scenarios require major attention to experimentation and technological innovation in the security and Defence sectors in order to meet any possible threat adequately at any time.Research & Technology activities avail themselves of the joint effort of civilian and military sectors and of a sy-nergic interchange between different actors who are coordinated by the Secretariat-General of Defence/National Armaments Directorate through the Nat ional Military Research Plan, which is an integral part of the Nat ional Research Plan. At an internat ional level, common Research & Technology act ivit ies are developed through the cooperat ion frameworks, such as the NATO Research and Technology Organizat ion and the European Defence Agency.

The development of synergy at different levels turns out to be a decisive factor for the strengthening of the avai-lable forces and of future operational skills, especially in multinational contexts.

symposia and conferences that cont ribute to the knowledge of the development of armaments. This l ives up to the excellence that Italy has always demonst rated in research. This excellence is an element of dist inct ion and pride for the Italian creat ivit y and genius, which is in l ine with the centuries-old cultural t radit ion of our country.

Since the Secretariat -General of Defence/ DNA is in charge of coordinat ion of ef forts in this sector, it plays an active role in this context and recognizes the importance of research activities, whose primary purpose is to ma-

Lieutenant General Aldo CinelliSecretary General of Defence and National Armaments Director

GENNAIO 2010 | JANUARY 2010

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il mare, e di Urano, il cielo stellato, che sceglie come sposo e dalla -

re, la dea della vegetazione, legata al mondo naturale e alla fecon-

La storia militare, con le sue epopee dal sapore leggendario e i -

primi fucili, poi il cannone, il carro armato, le armi cont rocarro -

Cerere, Pietro Bianchi (1694-1740), Collezione Privata

Gea or Gaia, is Earth in Greek mythology. She is the female Ti-tan and the progenitor of all the Gods of Olympus and of huma-nit y. She brings forth Pontus, the Sea, and Uranus, the starry sky, who she will marry and whose union will give birth to the twelve Titans. Her equivalent in the Roman pantheon was Tel-lus, the goddess of vegetat ion, who is t ied to the natural world and fert ilit y. In fact , the myth of earth is l inked to the idea of prosperit y, the origin of life and the driving force of evolut ion.With its legendary and heroic deeds, military history has always had as a background this material reality that has been the battle-

tank, the antitank weapons until the recent devices that techno-logical research is designing combining war aims with civilian use.

Ceres, Pietro Bianchi, (1694-1740), Private Collection,

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FEBBRAIO 2010 | FEBRUARY 2010

77

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Sistemi di difesa attivi e passivi

ai sensori IR, consente un livello di protezione superiore, specie di not te, in ambiente urbano e in aree ad alta copertura naturale.

Active and passive defensive systemsWithin the framework of the current peacekeeping missions, where the risk level is high and the attacks are non-convent ional, the military vehicles need more and more effect ive and sophist icated protect ion measures. The

-rity at low costs. Some projects aimed at the improvement of new passive defensive systems set a good example. The devices are opt imised by computer and this entails a considerable saving in comparison with ballist ic tests. Today, the more and more sophisticated performances of bullets require active defensive measures on tanks that are able to detect a threat even from a short distance and are capable of automatic holding. The APS (Electronic

the URP (the Peripheral Unity of Detect ion), thanks to the IR sensors, provides the urban environment and also the areas that are covered with vegetation with a higher protection level.

MARZO 2010 | MARCH 2010

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Nuove tecnologie-

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New technologiesTechnological innovation in computer science, robotics and nanotechnology has produced a change of the concept of brigade. The Integrated Land Brigade is precisely the result of the research and experimentation. It is the jewel in the crown of a long-term project which places it as the future central unit of the army, as the operative com-

simply whenever the operational situation changes.

made up of hardware and software infrastructure, where the planning and the assessment of architectures within operational scenarios of reference are done. The structuring of the analysis has already brought us some advanta-ges, for example the possibil it y of making a Risk Reduct ion on the development of plat forms and systems and of establishing interact ion between Defence and Indust ry, which is based on the use of user-friendly tools that are easy to update.

APRILE 2010 | APRIL 2010

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torpediniere, sommergibil i, navi corazzate, portaerei hanno solcato i nost ri mari e ci hanno affascinato per le

According to the myth, water is the source of life, but it is also a source of force and energy. History itself has hi-

this strength and exerts a rare evocative power: from the most ancient naval battle between the Hittites and the Cypriots in 1210 B.C. to the bat t le of Midway between the Americans and the Japanese in 1942. Torpedo boats, submarines, armoured ships and aircraft carriers have sailed our seas and have exerted great fascinat ion on us because of their deeds. The art of warfare has made use of water and its energy and has changed its instruments through a constant evolut ion that has been accelerated by technological research and experimental innovat ion.

The Triumph of Neptune, by Francesco Napoletano, is kept in the Palatine Gallery in Florence 31/10/1996 Domingie,Serge per Alinari Archives, Florence.

Trionfo di Nettuno. Opera di Francesco Napoletano conservata presso la Galleria Palatina a Firenze 31/10/1996 Domingie,Serge per Alinari Archivi Alinari, Firenze.

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MAGGIO 2010 | MAY 2010

2

9 16 23

30

Metamateriali per applicazioni radar e telecomunicazioni avanzate--

e dielettrica. La sua peculiare analogia con le strutture periodiche (i cristalli) la distingue da altri materiali, cosic--

sono derivare. Questo progetto ha lo scopo di realizzare, testare e modellare dal punto di vista elettromagnetico diverse tipologie di metamateriali rilevanti dal punto di vista militare. In particolare, si punta alla realizzazione di materiali idonei alla riduzione della Radar Cross Section di bersagli, oltre a metamateriali microstrutturati idonei

Metamaterials for advanced radar and telecommunication applicationsThe t it le of the proj ect that has been carried out by the Nat ional Interuniversity Consort ium for Telecommuni-

metallic and dielect ric nature. It s peculiar analogy with periodic st ructures (crystals) dist inguishes it f rom other materials, so that it acts as a real means and it is very special because lots of applications can arise from it.The scope of this proj ect is to propose an elect romagnet ic model, to design, to const ruct and to test dif ferent types of metamaterials, which can be used for military applicat ions. In part icular, the const ruct ion of materials used for Radar Cross Section reduction, in addition to the construction of micro structured metamaterials useful

GIUGNO 2010 | JUNE 2010

6 13 20 2727

Atlante delle onde e del vento nel Mediterraneo

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dai modelli, da cui poi viene dedot ta la correzione da effet tuare sui dat i dei modelli. Si t rat ta, in sostanza, per -

vento e molto altro ancora.

Atlas of waves and wind in the Mediterranean seaIn the Odyssey he was one of the pil lars of the sky, in the myth he was condemned by Zeus to support the vault of heaven. The name of Titan Atlas was thus used to designate the collection of maps, which has always been a source of curiosity and inspiration. Consequently, the historical atlas, the atlas of the constellations, the atlas of plants, the archaeological at las of the Seas saw the light of the day. And recent ly, there has been the MEDATLAS proj ect aimed at carrying out an at las, the best one that is possible today, of waves and wind in the Mediterra-

Union, WEAO Research Cell. The reliabil it y and the accuracy of data have always been the main problem about producing such works. Today, thanks to the increased availability of buoys and of the use of sophisticated satelli-tes there has been a marked improvement in the methods of calculations and in the quality of data. The method that has been used consists in the combinat ion of the data that have been obtained by the satell it es and of the data that have been acquired by the models, from which it is possible to infer the correction that must be made to the data of the models. In substance, from each measurement that has been made by the satell it e we can obtain the corresponding value of the model. The result is a series of detailed stat ist ics on the winds and waves of the Mediterranean which cover a whole decade, for example regarding wind direction and speed, wave height and period, wave height and direction, wave height and wind speed and much else besides.

LUGLIO 2010 | JULY 2010

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Flying has always been one of the most evocative fantasies of the collective immagination. The dream of building

campaign of 1911-12, but since the Great War its use has become more and more important both for strategic reasons

progress has enabled us to make highly-specialized aircrafts with enormous potential, thanks to worthwhile milita-ry research which enhances the dual aspect of innovation and the transferability of results to the civilian context.

Alinari, Florence.Alinari, Firenze.

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AGOSTO 2010 | AUGUST 2010

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Simulazione in volo-

-scono in tempo reale con ciascuno scenario, grazie a una particolare tecnologia installata a bordo. Nel dettaglio,

di un dispositivo informatico capace di creare virtualmente una situazione interattiva tra forze in gioco, obiettivi -

progresso in tal senso in quanto questo sistema consente di generare scenari tat t ici virtuali incrementando no-

velivoli operativi di nuova generazione.

Within the European cooperat ion programme EUCLID, Germany, as lead nat ion, with the collaborat ion of other count ries, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey, has conducted an interest ing study, which is on the wake of a previous project. It is aimed at the development of a system, which is based on the creation of virtual scenarios,

board. In detail, this Weapon System Simulat ion in Flight (WASIF) avails itself of an informat ion device, which is able to create a virtual interactive situation between forces at stake, objectives and threats from the ground.

because this system allows us to generate virtual tactical scenarios increasing considerably the training effective-ness of the machine and bringing about a more gradual transition to the new generation operational aircrafts.

SETTEMBRE 2010 | SEPTEMBER 2010

5 12 19 26

Osservazione della terraCosmo-SkyMed rappresenta il primo programma spaziale duale del mondo, di ut il izzo sia militare che civile, ge-

per la Difesa e la Sicurezza Nazionale. I risultat i dei due proget t i sono stat i ut il izzat i per lo sviluppo del radar

riguardato lo sviluppo di t re dimost ratori di antenne at t ive per radar SAR su satell it e: antenna in banda S; an-

di sottosistemi per sensori SAR ad alta risoluzione e di nuova generazione. I suoi risultati saranno utilizzati per la prossima generazione dei radar SAR.

Observation of the earth

and in the civil contexts and is managed by the Italian Space Agency and by the Minist ry of Defence. The main tool is the X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which is able to observe, day and night, even when the sky is

commercial, Defence and Nat ional Security purposes. The result s of the two proj ects, have been used for the -

lands and Germany, ended in 1999 and concerned the development of three demonstrators of active antennas for SAR radar on satellite: S-band antenna, X-band antenna, double-band antenna (X and S). The second one ended in 2002, with the carrying out of a demonstrator of a SAR sensor, which has been optimised with regard to the mass and costs. Current ly another proj ect is in progress, which has arisen from cooperat ion between Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. The subj ect of the study is the demonst rat ion of subsystems for high-resolut ion and new generation SAR sensors. Its results will be used for the next generation of SAR sensors.

OTTOBRE 2010 | OCTOBER 2010

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vicino ai bisogni umani. Secondo il mito, fu Prometeo, il

voleva elevarli dalla loro condizione animale. Di nascosto da Giove, che non voleva che disponessero di tale elemen-

vendet ta divina fu terribile. Prometeo venne incatenato a una rupe e condannato eternamente a un raccapric-

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Troia dopo essersi nascost i, secondo il racconto leggen-dario, nel celebre cavallo ideato da Ulisse. Dalle f rec-

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It is the most ancient source of energy, it is the primordial

is closest to human needs. According to the myth, Prome-theus, who was the most intell igent Titanus, wanted hu-

from their animal conditions. Zeus did not want mortals to know it because he was afraid that they would become too powerful. So Prometheus, out of sight of Zeus, stole a spark from Vulcan and gave it to the mortals. The divine revenge was terrible. He was bounded to a rock and condemned to

or defence military dates back to the most ancient t imes. The Il iad described how the Greeks used it to set Troy on

that had been devised by Ulysses, according to the legend. -

methrowers, to the discovery of gunpowder, which marked a turning point in military history. Then, at the end of the nineteenth century the invent ion of dynamite int roduced more modern explosives. Today, technological research has

and the balist ic sector is constant ly test ing new devices.

Allegoria del fuoco. opera di Giuseppe Arcimboldi realizzata per

Museum di Vienna. Imagno/Archivi AlinariArcimboldi Giuseppe (1527-1593)

-peror Maximilian II. Today it is kept in Vienna Kunsthistorisches

Museum, Imagno/Alinari ArchivesArcimboldi Giuseppe (1527-1593).

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NOVEMBRE 2010 | NOVEMBER 2010

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Protezione equipaggiLe mine da sempre rappresentano una seria minaccia per i veicoli militari e per i loro equipaggi. Negli ultimi anni sono stat i compiut i notevoli progressi nello sviluppo di materiali capaci di at tenuarne la forza esplosiva, ma le

ed uno studio riguardante lo sviluppo di una schiuma ceramica basata su ceramiche con alte prestazione balist i-

umano.

Protection of military crewsMines have always represented a serious threat to military vehicles and to their crews. In the last years lots of progress has been made in the development of materials that are able to weaken their explosive force, but the conditions in which the soldiers operate require the devising of a real innovative material that can really be deci-

for the protect ion of the crews of military vehicles is in progress. In addit ion, there is a study concerning the development of ceramic foam, which is based on high-performance ballist ic ceramics. In fact , to reduce the ef-fects of an antitank blast mine, the material must have both good plasticity, in order to absorb the energy that is caused by the pressure wave, and good hardness and tenacity, in order to erode the fragments that are produced by the explosion. The ceramic foam could be a perfect synthesis of these physical qualit ies and offer adequate protection because it softens the effects of the explosion on the human body.

DICEMBRE 2010 | DECEMBER 2010

5 12 19 26

EsoscheletroOggi, per lo svolgimento di compit i part icolarmente gravosi in ambient i scarsamente st rut turat i, ci si avvale di

ExoskeletonToday, in order to accomplish rather hard tasks in areas that are not well-structured, robotic systems of teleope-ration can be used, also to boost the performances of a human operator. What seemed an unrealistic project and

rapidly, to install equipment and to load weapons. The operator wears an interface that is integrated into the ro-

been made in a European context, originates from an Italian project that was conceived by the PERCRO laboratory of Saint Anna High School in Pisa, in cooperat ion with the company Signo Motus in Messina. In comparison with the other prototypes, which have been developed across the Atlantic, it has all the degrees of freedom that have been effectuated because it was conceived not for tact ical but for logist ic purposes. This is a perfect example of the duality of technological research. In fact, it is devised for military purposes but it has also civil, industrial and medical applications.

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