On 15 April, the Ambassadors of the 32 NATO member nations, led by Ambassador Marco Peronaci and Admiral Dario Giacomin, Italian Military Representative to the NATO and EU Military Committees, visited the F-35 – FACO / MRO&U trivalent regional hub in Cameri (NO). Also present was the Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance Mircea Dan Geoană.
Upon arrival in Cameri, the Ambassadors were welcomed by Army Corps General Luciano Portolano, Secretary General of Defense and National Director of Armaments, who in the first phase of the visit illustrated to them the organizational features of the international 5th generation F-35 program and the organization of the trivalent hub in Cameri, one of the realities in the world outside the United States (the other is in Japan) and unique in Europe.
In the initial briefings, held at Leonardo’s plants, it was illustrated that at the Piedmont plants – the assembly and final verification center of the F-35 program – about a third of the wing assemblies for the entire requirements of the international program are already produced, aircraft are assembled for Italy and Holland and the most significant inspections are carried out for European countries.
During the visit to the production and maintenance lines of the aircraft, the importance of the Cameri hub for the Euro-Mediterranean area became clear.
For Italy, the plant in the province of Novara represents a confirmation of the strategic and far-sighted choice to participate in the Joint Strike Fighter program from the outset, also due to the significant technological, industrial and employment impacts.
At the end of the visit, Deputy Secretary Geoană said he was fully satisfied with what he saw and complimented the level of excellence achieved in the management of the most modern industrial processes and the professionalism employed at the trivalent hub in Cameri.
He added that investing in defence, to respond to growing global challenges, means investing in stability and security, i.e. creating the conditions for peace and well-being in the Alliance’s member and partner countries. The visit of the Ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council had begun the previous day in the city of Turin where the diplomats had taken part in a meeting that brought together some representatives of the national industry in the sector, SMEs and startups of the Turin cluster, as well as the heads of the Federation of Italian Companies for Aerospace, Defense and Security (AIAD).
Follow us on our Telegram channel