Speaking at the Taranto military base in southern Italy, the official emphasized that these numbers highlight the real security threats faced by NATO.
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“The threats are real, and there are many. Starting with Russia and terrorist groups. But alongside them, there are others, often even more insidious, because they are less visible: disinformation, hybrid attacks, authoritarian states challenging the international order on which our security is based,” he said.
“If anyone thinks this is panic, I will provide a fact: in the past two years, NATO fighters have had to scramble… about 700 times to intercept Russian aircraft, or so-called aircraft, that chaotically approached our airspace,” added G.C. Dragone.
“700 takeoffs in two years. Count it: almost one per day,” emphasized the admiral.
G.C. Dragone also spoke about the “NATO 3.0” version, which he described as a revised version of the Western military alliance, where Europe plays a greater role alongside the United States.
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According to him, the Alliance “is returning to collective defense, but this is happening in a world where threats come from all sides: conventional and hybrid, physical and digital, from the east, south, and the Arctic.”
In earlier comments on the social network “X,” he stated that NATO must respond by strengthening its ability to adapt and withstand pressure, not just trying to absorb shocks.
“The ability not to break is the strategic advantage of the 21st century,” he wrote, comparing fragile glass, which shatters under tension, with muscle, which “becomes stronger because of tension.”
The official explained that the strategic advantage will not necessarily belong to those who have the most modern weapons, but to those who, in peace, crisis, or war, can “learn faster, make decisions faster, produce faster, implement innovations faster, and get back on their feet faster.”
