Il Direttore - Difesa.it

Director

Rear Admiral Gaetano VIRGILIO

Rear Admiral Gaetano VIRGILIO, born in Heiden Switzerland, joined the Italian Navy in 1988 and, after completion of basic training and qualifying course in Radio Communications and Information Management, took his first compliment appointment in ITS MIMBELLI as the assistant Communications Officer from May 1993. In February 1995 he was appointed as Section Head of Electronic Warfare in ITS BERSAGLIERE before being seconded to the Frigate ITS LIBECCIO completing active anti-smuggling operations of the coast of Somalia and in enforcement of the UN embargo on Former Yugoslavia as part of the NATO Operation “Maritime Guard” and latterly as part of the EU lead Operation “Sharp Fence”

Specializing in Telecommunications and Information Management in July 1997 and assigned to ITS SFINGE as the Operations Officer, he completed periods of both national operations and Basic Operational Sea Training with the Royal Navy in Plymouth England. Following this from October 1999, was attendance at the Advanced Warfare Officer’s Course at the Institute of Naval Studies and from February 2000, the completion of the 207th Session of “Officers Command School” finishing in October 2000 where he embarked in ITS SAN GUISTO as the Section Head of Sensors.

From October 2001 he was appointed to his first command as Commanding Officer of ITS VEGA in the rank of Lieutenant. During command, the ship was involved in anti-human trafficking operations in the Mediterranean and in training of the Officers Command School courses.

Following command, and appointed as the Flag Lieutenant and Head of Section N6 (Communications, Information and Security) to Italian High Command, was a period of intense activity leading to the certification of the COMITMARFOR to act as Maritime Component Commander for the NATO Response Force. From November 2004 until July 2010, he was appointed as desk officer to the 10th Communications Office in the 3rd department of telecommunication plans inside the Italian Navy General Staff. Studying on the 9th Interservice Senior Officers course at the School of advanced studies in Rome in this period, he was promoted to the rank of Commander.

Appointed to his second command in September 2010 in Frigate ITS SCIROCCO, the ship completed a challenging maintenance and work up period finishing September 2011. After command, and moving again to Navy General Staff, he was appointed as Head of Telecommunications and subsequently as Head of Human Resources, Head of Finance and latterly as Head of Internal Coordination.

Promoted to the rank of Captain in July 2013 and completing another tour in Navy General Staff, he was appointed as Commanding Officer of Destroyer ITS CAIO DUILIO in September 2015; completing active operations of the coast of Libya in Operation Mare Sicuro and international level exercises in the Mediterranean.

From October 2016 for 3 years he took the role as Director of the main Italian Navy Information and Communication Centre (MARITELE ROMA) in Rome.

The 1° of July 2019 he was promoted Real Admiral.

From 23rd October 2019 is the Chief of Center for Defence Innovation of the Italian Defence General Staff – III Division
Qualifications attained:

• Degree in Political Sciences, at the University of Trieste;

• Degree in Naval and Maritime Sciences, at the University of Pisa;

• Master's Degree in Strategic-Military International Studies at the LUISS University in Rome.

Decoration awards:

• Long Navigation Duty Medal;

• Golden Cross for Long Active Duty;

• Sharp Guard, Maritime Monitor and Maritime Guard Operations NATO Medal;

• Former Republic of Yugoslavia Operations WEU Medal;

• Somalia Mission Medal.

Rear Admiral VIRGILIO has a life partner, Daniela and a daughter Maria Eugenia.