Agreement on Antarctic Logistics Signed

ENEA and the Ministry of Defense have signed an agreement for logistical support of scientific missions in Antarctica. As part of this cooperation, the Italian Air Force (AMI) will handle the air transport of personnel, materials, and equipment between New Zealand and the Antarctic continent for the ongoing 41st expedition.

The agreement, which includes a significant contribution from the Ministry of Defense in the form of technical and specialized personnel from all branches of the armed forces, was inaugurated with a flight of the C130J-30 from the 46th Air Brigade. This aircraft landed on the Antarctic ice, bringing ENEA Director Giorgio Graditi and additional personnel to the Antarctic stations Mario Zucchelli and Concordia.

The Italian Air Force plans to conduct a total of six flights between New Zealand (Christchurch) and Antarctica. Of these, two flights are scheduled to the US station McMurdo and four to the Italian station Mario Zucchelli to transport personnel and materials.

Strategic Cooperation in Antarctica

This agreement is the result of a dialogue between ENEA and the newly established Joint Steering Committee for the Arctic, Subarctic, and Antarctic Environment. This committee was initiated by General Luciano Portolano, the Chief of Defense Staff, to coordinate national strategic activities in the polar regions. The committee operates based on a specific ministerial decree that assigns the task of implementing the Ministry of Defense’s guidelines to the Undersecretary of Defense, Senator Isabella Rauti.

„The support from the Defense Ministry represents a significant step for the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA), in which ENEA has played a leading role in organizing and coordinating the logistics of Italian missions since its establishment in 1985,“ Graditi stated before departing from Christchurch Airport to Antarctica. „This agreement not only facilitates the organization of our missions but also confirms the strategic value of our activities in Antarctica.“

The Italian missions in Antarctica, now in their 41st year, are part of the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA). This program is funded by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) and is managed by the National Research Council (CNR) for scientific coordination, by ENEA for planning and logistical organization of activities at the Antarctic stations, and by the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS) for the technical and scientific management of the icebreaker „Laura Bassi.“

This year, 20 military specialists from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Carabinieri are participating in the expedition.

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