The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine reveals how the modern-day nature of warfare is changing. The vulnerability of tanks and warships to missiles and drones, the lethality of precision-guided munitions, and the importance of trained reserves are just a few of the many lessons that nations like Italy need to study and learn if they are to be ready to meet tomorrow's challenges.

Lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian war is the theme of the second edition of the Machiavelli Defense Conference (click here to read about first edition): a day of debates, with many experts, to imagine and guide the modernization of the Italian military instrument.

The conference will be held in Rome on Monday, December 4, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Chamber of Deputies (in the Sala Salvadori of the Parliamentary Groups Building, Via Uffici del Vicario 21).

L’evento è organizzato con il contributo della Augustus Foundation.

Registration is required to attend (click to fill out the form otherwise send us an e-mail) by 10 a.m. on the day before the conference.

Detailed schedule:

Ore 10.00: apertura dei lavori.
Saluti di On. Simone Billi (deputato)
Introduzione di Daniele Scalea (Centro Studi Machiavelli)

Ore 10.15: discorso del Gen. Pietro Serino (Esercito, Capo di Stato Maggiore)

Ore 10.30: discorso del Gen. Nicola Lanza De Cristoforis (Vice-Comandante Operativo di Vertice Interforze)

Ore 10.45: How Italy's military forces are changing

Gen. Michele Oballa (Aeronautica, Capo di Stato Maggiore del Comando Logistico), C.A. Massimiliano Lauretti (Stato Maggiore Marina, Capo III Reparto)

11.30 a.m.: Challenges for the defense industry in the changing world

Lorenzo Benigni (Elettronica), Alessandro Ercolani (Rheinmetall Italia), Emanuele Galtieri (Cy4Gate), Lorenzo Mariani (Leonardo)

12.30 a.m.: refreshments for all attendees

1.30 p.m.: The future of Defense in Europe

Min. Alessandro Azzoni (MAECI, Vice Direttore Generale Affari politici), Amm. Nicola De Felice (Centro Studi Machiavelli), Germano Dottori (Limes), Gianandrea Gaiani (Analisi Difesa)

2.15 p.m.: Return of the mass army

Gen. Giorgio Battisti (Centro Studi Machiavelli), Gen. Salvatore Farina (Centro Studi Esercito, già Capo Stato Maggiore Esercito), Sebastiano Favero (Associazione Nazionale Alpini)

3.00 p.m.: The moral factor: patriotism, preparedness and military virtues in the population

Giuseppe Cossiga (AIAD), Gen. Giuseppe Morabito (Centro Studi Machiavelli), Giancarlo Ramaccia (Centro Studi Valor Militare), Amm. Pierluigi Rosati (Associazione Nazionale Marinai d’Italia)

3.45 p.m.: The cognitive warfare

Massimo Amorosi (esperto), Guglielmo Picchi (Centro Studi Machiavelli, già Sottosegretario Esteri), Emanuel Pietrobon (InsideOver)

4.30 p.m.: NATO and the new defense plans for Europe

Col. Roberto Impegno (SMD III Reparto), Fabrizio Luciolli (Comitato Atlantico Italiano), Stefania Pucciarelli (Senatrice, già Sottosegretario Difesa)

DOWNLOAD THE AGENDA (pdf)