Outgoing Air Force Chief General Luca Goretti told Parliament that space operations must be fully integrated into Italy’s defence posture. He urged faster coordination between civilian and military agencies and welcomed commercial satellite services
Space as a necessity. On Wednesday, General Luca Goretti—concluding a three-and-a-half-year term as Chief of the Italian Air Force—addressed the Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.
- He argued that space “is no longer an option but a necessity” and warned, “In the coming years, security in space will define security on Earth.”
- He outlined a vision in which rapid-response capabilities depend on civil and military cooperation, and where commercial constellations complement established European projects like IRIS² and Italy’s Mercurio.
Private sector engagement. When queried about private operators—specifically the Starlink system provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink—by Lega’s MP Anastasio Carrà, General Goretti committed to providing a written response.
- On Thursday, speaking on the sidelines of the Aerospace Power Conference—also attended by U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations General B. Chance Saltzman—Goretti echoed Defence Minister Guido Crosetto’s view that “if one individual can launch SpaceX alone, public institutions must unite to build competitive alternatives.”
- He stressed that choosing any commercial provider remains a political decision, but insisted that public institutions must innovate collectively if private entrepreneurs can achieve breakthrough capabilities alone.
Room for business. Andrea Stroppa—Elon Musk’s Italian point of contact—welcomed Goretti’s statements as the first defence-lead endorsement of satellite connectivity.
- Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Vice-President for Commercial Sales, Stephanie Bednarek, is attending the Aerospace Power Conference in Rome.
- MP Andrea Casu (Democratic Party) has submitted questions to Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, asking under what capacity she participates and whether SpaceX is acting as a sponsor or supplier, amid concerns over undue influence on military procurement.
