The Middle East, from Iraq to Bahrain: here’s how Italian troops might be deployed
Meanwhile, the country has put itself forward as a candidate to take over the leadership of the NATO Mission in Iraq in 2027
Key points
Whilst, on the one hand, Italy, following the attack by the Yemeni Houthis on the Saudi base at Ta’if – as a result of which an Italian fighter jet was destroyed, is moving towards a reorganisation of the Italian contingents operating under the umbrella of Task Force Arabia; on the other hand, the country has put itself forward as a candidate to take over the leadership of the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) in 2027. The announcement was made in Copenhagen during the Military Committee Conference, the annual meeting bringing together the Chiefs of Defence Staff of the 32 allied nations. Representing Italia was Luciano Portolano, Chief of Defence Staff.
The redeployment of Italian troops in Saudi Arabia
At present, it cannot be ruled out that troops may be moving within Saudi territory itself. The bulk of the Italian military presence on the Middle Eastern front (around 1,400 personnel) is concentrated in northernIraq, working closely with the Peshmerga units of the Iraqi Kurds, and in Kuwait, where they are training units to combat terrorism and crime. Italia is also engaged in the United Arab Emirates and in Bahrain, where Army contingents have also been deployed as part of the Cerbero land task force (at least a hundred troops are reportedly deployed).
Security measures for aerial surveillance vehicles have been stepped up
At this stage, the priority is the safety of the Italian military personnel serving in Task Force Arabia, but the focus of discussions also centres on the Italian defence assets deployed: from the Eurofighter (following the recent attack, only three remain operational) to the Gulfstream CAEW radar aircraft, probably the most expensive in the air fleet.
The aim is to enhance security. There is the utmost secrecy surrounding this matter, but it is understood that some assets have already been moved to the Emirates or to the Riyadh base. The King Fahd base is also said to house the new-generation Samp-T surface-to-air missile defence system alongside the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power radar, whilst the Skynex weapon system is reportedly deployed in other parts of the Gulf.
The summit at Palazzo Chigi
The strategy was discussed at a meeting held on Monday 21 September at Palazzo Chigi between Minister Crosetto and Alfredo Mantovano, Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister with responsibility for the Security of the Republic, along with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Luciano Portolano, the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Fabio Gregori, and senior intelligence officials.
