Maj. Gen. CONT was appointed Capability, Armament and Planning Director at the European Defense Agency on 1st April 2022. Born in Trento - Italy, on 3 Sept. 1963, he was commissioned in Sept. 1984 after graduating from the Italian Air Force Academy. His operational assignments include both Italy and the U.S., where he led different Commands in Fighter and Fighter Training Squadrons. He was appointed as the 61st FTW’S Commander and Lecce AFB Commander from 2006 to 2008. Maj. Gen. CONT is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours; a distinguished graduate of pilot training, and he has served as an instructor pilot and check pilot at the Italian Weapon Instructor School. Prior to his current assignment and since August 2018, he served as Defense and Defense Cooperation Attaché in Washington (D.C.) As the highest-ranking representative of the Italian Defense accredited to the United States, Mexico, and Canada, his primary duties were to promote bilateral military relations and initiatives and enhance cooperation in research and development of security and defense programs. He was also responsible for overseeing the procurement process in the United States and supporting joint venture defense partnerships. Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Head of the Political Military Office in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense. As a MoD advisor, he supported the decision making process, on a political level, for defense industrial policy, international relations and long-term defense strategic evolution. Between 2000 and 2011, he served in the Defense General Staff as the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Office and later as the Chief of the Strategic Affairs Office. His main duties included the development and supervision of the national “Long Term Capabilities Planning,” the national contribution to NATO and EU’s Force and Capabilities Planning, the implementation of the National Security and Defense Policy, and formulating strategic assessments and directives in crisis management. From 2012 to 2013, he was Deputy Chief o f t h e Airspace Programs Division of the Italian Air Force Staff. Gen. CONT holds “Aeronautical Sciences” and “Political and Military Sciences” Degrees from Federico II University in Naples, and Midwestern State University (USA). He has a Masters in “International and Military’s Strategic Studies (Rome), “Public Management” (MSU-USA) and “National Security Strategy” (National Defense University-USA). He achieved the title of “doctor” in “International and Diplomatic Sciences” from the University of Trieste. In addition to the required pilot and instructor’s professional training and education, Maj. Gen. CONT has attended several postgraduate courses. These courses include the “Total Quality Program Leader,” the “Civ-Mil Cooperation Course,” and the “Complex Organizations Reengineering Course.” He also specialized in “Defense Resources Management” (Naval Post Graduate School – Monterrey) and in Middle East Studies at the “Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies” (Washington). From 2015 to 2018 he taught "military politics and strategy" at the CASD and the LUISS university in Rome. He is the author of several publications related to Geopolitics, Geostrategy and Strategic Planning. His latest publication is “Gé-Politiké,” a manual for geopolitical scholars.
Speaking
17September
16:25 / 17:15
Bibliothèque
Session
Fostering Innovation for the Benefit of Defense users
