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I've changed the source where it says about replacing the tornado with the F35 and the F35 will Have the role that the Tornado has today. Repubblica cited that the F35 will replace the Tornado. the Italian parlament its also dicussing about the costs.
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Ever since 27 March 1960, when Admiral Pecori Geraldi had argued that a seaborne nuclear force was the most resistant to attack, the navy had looked for an opportunity to take on a nuclear role and had gained experience through the successful test of Polaris missiles from ''Giuseppe Garibaldi'' in September 1962.<ref name=nuti1992/> Thus, in 1971, the navy started an indigenous ballistic missile program for use on submarines and surface warships or "technology program intended to develop high power solid-propellant boosters for civil and military applications".<ref name=wade2001/>
Ever since 27 March 1960, when Admiral Pecori Geraldi had argued that a seaborne nuclear force was the most resistant to attack, the navy had looked for an opportunity to take on a nuclear role and had gained experience through the successful test of Polaris missiles from ''Giuseppe Garibaldi'' in September 1962.<ref name=nuti1992/> Thus, in 1971, the navy started an indigenous ballistic missile program for use on submarines and surface warships or "technology program intended to develop high power solid-propellant boosters for civil and military applications".<ref name=wade2001/>


The missile was developed quickly. After the first stage motor was fired eleven times in static tests, three test missiles, now named [[Alfa (rocket)|Alfa]], with inert second stages were successfully launched from [[Salto di Quirra]] in [[Sardinia]], the last on 6 April 1976.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Gregory|last=Alegy|title=Il PISQ e il rilancio della tecnologia aerospaziale nel secondo dopoguerra|journal=Rivista Aeronautica|volume=5/6|year=2006|pages=100-131|language=Italian}}</ref>
The missile was developed quickly. After the first stage motor was fired eleven times in static tests, three test missiles, named [[Alfa (rocket)|Alfa]], with inert second stages were successfully launched from [[Salto di Quirra]] in [[Sardinia]], the last on 6 April 1976.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Gregory|last=Alegy|title=Il PISQ e il rilancio della tecnologia aerospaziale nel secondo dopoguerra|journal=Rivista Aeronautica|volume=5/6|year=2006|pages=100-131|language=Italian}}</ref>


At the same time, the combination of high costs and a changing political climate meant that the project was doomed. The program had already cost over 6 billion lira.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Luciano|last=Castro|title=Dossier Alfa|journal=Aerospazio|year=1982|pages=20-24}}</ref> Yugoslavia was abandoning its own nuclear program; Switzerland would soon do the same. At the same time, there was an increasing risk of nuclear escalation outside Europe and domestic pressure for Italy to take play its part in reducing the nuclear tension. These combined with pressure from the United States led to Italy abandoning its nuclear weapons program and ratifying the [[Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]] on 2 May 1975.<ref name=evangelista2011/>
At the same time, the combination of high costs and a changing political climate meant that the project was doomed. The program had already cost over 6 billion lira.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Luciano|last=Castro|title=Dossier Alfa|journal=Aerospazio|year=1982|pages=20-24}}</ref> Yugoslavia was abandoning its own nuclear program; Switzerland would soon do the same. At the same time, there was an increasing risk of nuclear escalation outside Europe and domestic pressure for Italy to take play its part in reducing the nuclear tension. These combined with pressure from the United States led to Italy abandoning its nuclear weapons program and ratifying the [[Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]] on 2 May 1975.<ref name=evangelista2011/>

Revision as of 08:41, 22 August 2017

Weapons of mass destruction
By type
By country
Proliferation
Treaties

The Italian nuclear weapons program was an endeavor by Italy to develop nuclear weapons in the late 20th Century. After abortive attempts to develop a multilateral program with other nations in the 1950s and 1960s, Italy launched an indigenous nuclear weapons program, including testing a ballistic missile. The program ceased in 1975.Italian fromer President Francesco Cossiga declared that these subjects in Italy are covered by statal secrets with silence (writing nothing) and lies (and telling false things to others).[1] Italy is currently part of the NATO nuclear sharing program.

Background

At the end of World War II, Italy was quick to realise the geopolitical situation and created a political strategy that relied on multilateralism, principally through a close relationship with the United States, membership of NATO and greater European integration.[2] The Italian Army was particularly keen to acquire nuclear weapons, seeing them primarily in a tactical role.[3]

Italy started hosting US nuclear weapons under NATO's nuclear sharing policy. The first nuclear weapons deployed were MGR-1 Honest John and MGM-5 Corporal rockets in 1957.[4] Other weapons followed, including the MIM-14 Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile. However, all these systems were under sole US control and so Italy simultaneously pursued dialogue with other European nations on a collaborative nuclear programme.[2] Discussions were held with France and Germany about a joint nuclear deterrent, but these were curtailed in 1958 by Charles de Gaulle's desire for an independent French deterrent.[5]

Sites where PGM-19 Jupiter missiles were deployed between 1960 and 1963
Jupiter deployment sites

The decision by Switzerland on 23 December 1958 to pursue a nuclear weapons programme put an additional impetus on Ilaly.[6] Pressure was made on the United States to provide additional nuclear weapons. On 26 March 1959, agreement was made that the Italian Air Force would receive 30 PGM-19 Jupiter ballistic missiles to operate from Gioia del Colle Air Base.[3] The first missiles arrived on 1 April 1960.[7] This time the American provided a dual-key system that led the Italian government to believe they had greater control over the deterrent and thus more power in NATO.[2] Explicitly, the new missiles could be used "for the execution of NATO plans and policies in times of peace as well as war".[3] The missiles were operated by a new brigade, the 36ª Aerobrigata.[7]

Multilateral Force

At the same time as working with the United States, Italy explored working within the NATO Multilateral Force (MLF) concept to develop a European nuclear force. MLF was a concept promoted by the United States to place all NATO nuclear weapons not operated by their own services under a joint control, with dual-key control by American and European forces. For the United States, the MLF was an attempt to balance the desire from other members to play a role in nuclear deterrence with their interest in bringing all existing and potential Western nuclear arsenals under the umbrella of a more cohesive NATO alliance.[8] Italy had long argued for nuclear cooperation, with Minister of Defence Paolo Emilio Taviani saying on 29 November 1956 that the Italian government was trying to persuade their "Allies to remove the unjustified restrictions regarding the access of NATO countries to new weapons."[3] The policy was pursued by the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and formed a fundamental part of the negotiations around the Nassau Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom and the attempted accession of the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1961.[9]

Under MLF, the United States proposed that various NATO countries operate UGM-27 Polaris IRBM on seaborne platforms, principally nuclear submarines. The Italian Navy took the cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi out of service and rebuilt the ship between 1957 and 1961 as a guided missile cruiser with launchers for four Polaris missiles.[5] Shortly afterwards, in December 1962, Italian Minister of Defence Giulio Andreotti officially asked the United States for assistance in developing nuclear propulsion for its fleet.[2]

Italy's indigenous program

Alfa missile launch
Test launch of Alfa in 1975

The Italian government saw the growth of the movement to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons as a major challenge to its nuclear programme.[5] At the Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament, the Italian government argued that multilateral activity like the MLF as excluded from any agreement on non-proliferation, but found that the Soviet Union required that MLF be terminated as part of their negotiations on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the United States all but killed the agreement on 17 December 1964 with National Security Action Memorandum No. 322.[8] At the same time, on 5 January 1963, the United States announced that they would withdraw the Jupiter missiles as a consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis.[10] The decision was approved by the Italian government and the missile brigade was deactivated on 1 April 1963.[11]

With the failure of its multilateral efforts, Italy looked again at creating an independent deterrent. Italy had experience with nuclear technology, with a well developed nuclear power industry with BWR , Magnox, and PWR technologies, as well as the 5MW RTS-1 'Galileo Galilei' test reactor at CAMEN (Italian: Centro Applicazioni Militari Energia Nucleare, Center for Military Applications of Nuclear Energy).[12] It also had a large number of nuclear capable aircraft, including the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, and was developing the Panavia Tornado with nuclear strike in mind.[13]

Ever since 27 March 1960, when Admiral Pecori Geraldi had argued that a seaborne nuclear force was the most resistant to attack, the navy had looked for an opportunity to take on a nuclear role and had gained experience through the successful test of Polaris missiles from Giuseppe Garibaldi in September 1962.[3] Thus, in 1971, the navy started an indigenous ballistic missile program for use on submarines and surface warships or "technology program intended to develop high power solid-propellant boosters for civil and military applications".[6]

The missile was developed quickly. After the first stage motor was fired eleven times in static tests, three test missiles, named Alfa, with inert second stages were successfully launched from Salto di Quirra in Sardinia, the last on 6 April 1976.[14]

At the same time, the combination of high costs and a changing political climate meant that the project was doomed. The program had already cost over 6 billion lira.[15] Yugoslavia was abandoning its own nuclear program; Switzerland would soon do the same. At the same time, there was an increasing risk of nuclear escalation outside Europe and domestic pressure for Italy to take play its part in reducing the nuclear tension. These combined with pressure from the United States led to Italy abandoning its nuclear weapons program and ratifying the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 2 May 1975.[5]

Nuclear weapons in Italy since 1975

Lance missile in Sardinia
Lance of the 3rd Missile Brigade "Aquileia" in 1990

Italy has remained within the MLF and thus continued to host nuclear weapons on its soil after its own program had halted. Since 1975, the country has been used by the United States Army for deploying the BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile, MGM-52 Lance tactical ballistic missile and W33, W48 and W79 artillery shells.[16] The Italian Army unit 3rd Missile Brigade "Aquileia" was trained to use the munitions until the United States Army removed their last nuclear weapons from Italy in 1992 when they withdrew the last Lance missile.[13]

Current situation

Italian F-35 will carry the B61 nuclear Bomb.[17]

The country is part of the NATO nuclear sharing program. B61 nuclear bombs could be used by the Italian Air Force in time of war.[5] The bombs are stored in two locations, with 50 at the Aviano Air Base, and 20-40 at the Ghedi Air Base in 2015.[18][19] General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon nuclear capable fighter-bombers of 31st Fighter Wing are based at Aviano.[20] Ghedi is host to 6º Stormo Alfredo Fusco which operates the nuclear capable Panavia Tornado strike aircraft.[18] Italy has planned to purchase the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft to replace part of the Tornado .[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://archive.is/Rr7lb
  2. ^ a b c d Nuti, Leopoldo (2017). "A turning point in postwar foreign policy:Italy and the NPT negotiations 1967-1968". In Roland Popp; Liviu Horovitz; Andreas Wenger (eds.). Negotiating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Origins of the Nuclear Order. New York: Routledge. pp. 77–96.
  3. ^ a b c d e Nuti, Leopoldo (1992). "Italy and the Nuclear Choices of the Atlantic Alliance, 1955–63". In Beatrice Heuser; Brian Thomas (eds.). Securing Peace in Europe, 1945–62: Thoughts for the post-Cold War Era. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 222–245.
  4. ^ Fadorini, Paolo (2013). Tactical Nuclear Weapons and Euro-Atlantic Security: The Future of NATO. London: Routledge. p. 62.
  5. ^ a b c d e Evangelista, Matthew (2011). "Atomic Ambivalence: Italy's Evolving Attitude to Nuclear Weapons". In Giampiero Giacomello; Bertjan Verbeek (eds.). Italy's foreign policy in the twenty-first century : the new assertiveness of an aspiring middle power. Lanham: Lexington Books. pp. 115–134.
  6. ^ a b Wade, Mark (2001). "Alfa". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b Mariani, Antonio (2012). La 36ª Aerobrigata Interdizione Strategica: il contributo Italiano alla guerra fredda (in Italian). Rome: Aeronautica Militare, Ufficio Storico.
  8. ^ a b Priest, Andrew (2011). "The President, the 'Theologians' and the Europeans: The Johnson Administration and NATO Nuclear Sharing". The International History Review. 33 (2): 257–275.
  9. ^ Widén, J.J.; Colman, Jonathan (2007). "Lyndon B. Johnson, Alec Douglas-Home, Europe and the NATO Multilateral Force, 1963-64". Journal of Transatlantic Studies. 5 (2): 179–198.
  10. ^ De Maria, Michelangelo; Orlando, Lucia (2008). Italy in Space : In Search of a Strategy 1957-1975. Paris: Beauchesne. p. 253.
  11. ^ Gianvanni, Paolo (2000). "Un ricordo della guerra fredda". JP4 Mensile di Aeronautica. 1: 30–35.
  12. ^ International Atomic Energy Agency (1971). Power and Research Reactors in Member States. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency. p. 43.
  13. ^ a b Meleca, Vincenzo (2015). Il potere nucleare delle Forze Armate Italiane, 1954-1992 (in Italian). Milan: Greco & Greco editori.
  14. ^ Alegy, Gregory (2006). "Il PISQ e il rilancio della tecnologia aerospaziale nel secondo dopoguerra". Rivista Aeronautica (in Italian). 5/6: 100–131.
  15. ^ Castro, Luciano (1982). "Dossier Alfa". Aerospazio: 20–24.
  16. ^ Duke, Simon (1989). United States Military Forces and Installations in Europe. Stockholm: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. p. 88.
  17. ^ [1]
  18. ^ a b Kristensen, Hans M.; Norris, Robert S. (2015). "US nuclear forces, 2015". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. pp. 107–119. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)}
  19. ^ http://www.panorama.it/news/oltrefrontiera/armi-nucleari-italia/
  20. ^ Robertson, Patsy (22 September 2008). "Factsheet 31 Fighter Wing (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Kierulf, John (2017). Disarmament under International Law. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 64.
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