Italian Forces

Italian Air Force: 90 years

Stato Maggiore Aeronautica

One of the most famous Italian aircraft (the Macchi 202) and a famous Italian air unit, the 4st Stormo, still existing, for remember the ninetieth anniversary (fall on 28 March 2013) of the Italian Air Force’s foundation as independent armed force. The at this time Regia Aeronautica (after the proclamation of the Italian Republic, 18 June 1946, Aeronautica Militare) was in effect established by the Royal Decree number 645, 28 March 1923, which proclaimed the unification of the Army and Navy’s air component under an unique independent armed force with own organization, structure, personnel, uniform, aircrafts and bases and with own High Command, initially the Comando Generale Aeronautica (Aeronautic General Command), later, Royal Decree n. 469, 2 April 1925, replaced by the Stato Maggiore Aeronautica with a Capo di Stato Maggiore Aeronautica (Air Force Staff, Chief of Staff Air Force) as still today. On 5 November 1923 was established the Accademia Aeronautica (Air Academy) initially inside the Naval Academy at Leghorn, later in the Caserta’s Royal Palace (after the WW2 the Air Academy was placed at Nisida, in front to Gulf of Naples, later in the own and modern today’s location of Pozzuoli). With the Royal Decree n. 1513, 30 August 1925, was founded the Ministero dell’Aeronautica (Air Ministry) with Benito Mussolini as Secretary at interim for Aeronautics with duties (20 September 1925) delegated, by the same Mussolini, to the Deputy Secretary for Aeronautics, General Alberto Bonzani. The Italian Air Force is therefore one of the most ancient independent air forces of the world. The Royal Air Force was established on 1st April 1918, while the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) was actually established as independent armed force with the Law 8 December 1922, but her existence was definitively recognized by a decree dated 1st April 1933 and accomplished with the Law 2 July 1934. In Germany the born of the Luftwaffe, with own Command (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe-OKL), was publicly announced on 1st March 1935, while the borderline case is the United States Air Force established as truly independent armed force only on 18 September 1947. Victor Sierra