The Navy Basin for Engineers and Professionals

In its 144 years of existence, the Livorno Naval Academy has trained more than 44,200 officers, including those in the normal courses, those in the auxiliary and complementary courses, and those on direct appointment; it also hosts around 500 students and participants in supplementary and professional courses each year. The officer's career is perhaps the most coveted within the Navy but, from a training point of view, it is only one of the paths that can be taken by those who decide to join the armed force dedicated to the defence and security of the sea, the coasts and the underwater world. Because even those who do voluntary service as non-commissioned officers, graduates or simple sailors are subjected to a meticulous training course that enables them to develop professional skills that can then also be applied in civilian life. We will make an excursus precisely on the professional openings offered by the various roles within the Navy, starting with those in command roles and ending with the troops.

Officers are the future leaders of the armed forces who attain the necessary training to lead men and vehicles. They are divided into various roles and corps, ranging from junior officers to admirals. They all begin their careers at the Naval Academy in Livorno (founded in 1881); the length of the course varies depending on the specialisation and includes master's degrees in collaboration with universities such as Pisa, Genoa, Naples and Trieste.

Officers in the normal ranks can reach the highest posts within the Navy and Defence without career restrictions. To take part in the Academy competition, you must be between 17 and 22 years old, an Italian citizen, have a high school diploma and be psychophysically and aptitude fit. The selection tests also include general culture, English language and a 30-day internship. At the end of the training, trainees attain the rank of second lieutenant.

The main specialisation corps are the General Staff (which includes command roles, with a 5-year degree in Maritime and Naval Science), the Naval Engineers (which includes maintenance of naval units and a 6-year degree in Naval Engineering), the Infrastructure Engineers (design and maintenance of infrastructure, with a 6-year degree in Civil Engineering), Health (for shipboard doctors and militia health centres, which includes a 7-year degree in Medicine and Surgery), Commissariat (which focuses on financial and logistical management, with a 5-year degree in Law) and, finally, Harbour Master's Office (which focuses on safety of navigation and maritime domain and requires a 5-year degree in Law).

Other routes to becoming an officer are the 30-month Advanced Placement Trainee (Aufp), who attends an 11-week course at the Academy, and is then assigned either on board ships or in shore-based bodies (and the career can then be consolidated by taking part in an internal competition); the direct-appointment officer (who is selected through a competition, based on qualifications and examinations, from among young people already in possession of a master's degree) and is trained for specific roles based on the degree held; finally, the complementary pilot (Aupc), who is an auxiliary with a 12-year prefixed term of service and, after a very tough initial course, continues with flying courses, in national schools or in the USA: this is how naval pilots are trained.