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The article reports that Germany and Italy will bolster reconnaissance capabilities for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces in Afghanistan, with the deployment of manned and unmanned aircraft. Before the end of April 2007, the German air force hopes to have six reconnaissance Tornados operational. They deployed last week to the Mazar-e-Sharif air base in northern Afghanistan. NATO first requested the reconnaissance improvement in December 2006.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states are considering deploying additional air force units to Afghanistan, including attack helicopters, potentially paving the way for an eventual drawdown in the number of the U.S. forces in the country. While the notion expressed by the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that NATO ultimately could replace the U.S. presence appears improbable, some states are looking to bolster their commitments. NATO took over command responsibility for the International Security Assistance Force in August 2003.

The article focuses on upgrades for the C-27J Spartan tactical airlifter that will protect ground troops from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). It states that the Italian air force is reading the C-27J for war duty in western Afghanistan. It mentions that new systems for the C-27J include a jammer that will disable radio-controlled IEDs and ground-penetrating radar to detect IEDs hidden just below the surface.

The article focuses on plans by Italy's armed forces to arm unmanned aerial vehicles in Afghanistan and bolster its helicopter force. It states that Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa and Foreign Minister Franco Frattini indicated a drawdown of armed forces could start in the summer of 2012. It mentions a review is underway to possibly reverse current policy against arming Italian Predator drone aircraft operating in Afghanistan.

The article reports on Italy's defense budget for 2010. The government was able to find a way to pay for some of its Afghanistan deployment costs without draining the nation's defense budget. It notes the decision of government officials not to use the special funding stream recently approved by the parliament to finance major weapons systems. However, some defense equipment is covered, including consumables such as ammunition.

The article reports that Afghanistan's air force is likely to see its fixed-wing transport capacity grow substantially under international plans to build up a tactical transport fleet of 18-24 aircraft starting around mid-2009. The Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan wants to give a boost to the Afghan National Army to relieve the strain on the International Security Assistance Force of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the U.S. troops operating under separate mandate in the country.

A 70,000-strong Afghan armed force is to be built up under the tutelage of Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Phoenix, Arizona, including a small army air wing. With no plan to create an air force, the army will rely on an air corps for support. The CJTF has the job of forming and training the army, which will be equipped predominantly from foreign donations. The goal is to establish an initial corps of three brigades, with a total of 12 battalions, but the army currently numbers fewer than 6,000 troops and will reach only 9,000 by mid-2004. The final structure will see four regional commands, each with a small field corps.

Reports that while the Italian government is to send a regimental battle group to Bagram, Afghanistan to carry out counter-Taliban operations along the Afghan-Pakistan border, it is yet to decide on sending a helicopter squadron to support the army forces. Schedule for the deployed Italian forces; Significance of the deployment for the Italian troops; Logistical support being provided to the troops.

The article explores the growing popularity of wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) around the world. The U.S. military has used the General Dynamics family of Strykers in Iraq and the mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle in Afghanistan. In Israel, IFVs are used to police the occupied territories and hybrid warfare in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Italy is going to replace a number of its tracked vehicles with wheeled vehicles such as the Freccia and the medium-protected VTMM.

The article discusses how the European financial crisis is forcing the government of Italy to include security and defense in austerity plans in 2012. It says that the defense ministry's final budget of 16.4 billion euros increased by 4.4 percent over last year. According to the author, Italy will reduce funding for international missions significantly except Afghanistan. The efforts of the defense ministry to preserve its strength include budget for 180,000 service personnel.

The article reports on the effectiveness of main battle tanks (MBT) in counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The U.S. Marine Corps has decided in 2010 to deploy a tank platoon to Afghanistan based on the successful use of MBTs by the Canadians and the Dutch in southern Afghanistan. It is noted that the Israelis used MBTs in Gaza in 2008 to 2009 based on the lessons of the Lebanese war in 2006.