The negotiations for the acquisition by Italy of the US strategic drones ‘Reaper’ are still in the negotiation phase and have not yet been concluded, Defense sources report. The operation, qualified sources underline, is part of a bilateral government agreement between the two countries approved ten years ago but, at present, no contract for the purchase of the unmanned aircraft has been signed.
The case has raised controversy, with Angelo Bonelli, deputy of Alleanza Verdi Sinistra and national spokesperson of Europa Verde, who in a note attacks: “It is incredible that money continues to be found for weapons, in a situation in which we have reached the maximum level of public deficit. We would like to understand whether Italy’s purchase of six attack drones from the US falls within the 28 billion euros, with annual growth of 5.5%, for military spending envisaged by the budget law. I will present a question to ask Minister Crosetto to clarify these new planned military spending. The money for weapons can be found, but not for CAT scans in healthcare or education”.
Filiberto Zaratti, leader of the Green and Left Alliance in the Chamber’s Constitutional Affairs Committee, is on the same page: “We have learned that Washington has announced that it has sold six Reaper drones to Italy, specifying that it is a batch ‘requested by the government of Rome’ at a price of 738 million. A contract was apparently closed without the government having asked for authorization from Parliament. We want clarification immediately, or we must think that the Meloni government acted ‘under cover of darkness'”.