White Fox 2025: the Army and Arctic Capability

With the opening ceremony held on the afternoon of Monday, March 10 in San Candido, White Fox 2025 officially began, the main international exercise in a snowy environment organized by the Italian Army Alpine Troops Command. The event, which will continue until March 15, will be part of a broader framework: the development and consolidation of the Armed Forces' Arctic and sub-Arctic operational capability.

A strategic projection towards the North

The rapid change in the global geopolitical scenario will continue to push the major world powers to look at the Arctic as a new frontier of strategic competition. In this context, Italy will launch a plan to enhance its intervention capabilities in extreme environments, leveraging the experience of the Alpine Troops, traditionally trained for mountain combat, as pioneers for the necessary doctrinal and technological evolution.

The Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Carmine Masiello, will speak at the Arctic Forum Dolomites 2025, where he will emphasize how "today's changes are unusually rapid and have a disruptive effect," imposing a "new emphasis on the creation of technology-driven forces." In this scenario, he will state that "the Arctic region will be at the center of significant strategic competition in the coming years, foreshadowing new geopolitical challenges and economic opportunities."

Over 1,300 soldiers in action in White Fox

White Fox 2025 will involve over 1,300 soldiers, belonging to the 15 regiments of the Julia and Taurinense Alpine Brigades, the Alpine Training Center and other specialized Army units, including the 9th Rombo Regiment for cyber security, the 4th Alpine Paratroopers Regiment, the 4th AVES Altair Regiment, as well as international assets from allied countries.

The Val Pusteria, in the heart of the Dolomites, will confirm itself as the ideal setting to test operational capabilities that will require high standards of physical endurance and technical mastery in extreme climatic conditions, anticipating the contexts that will characterize future military operations in Arctic theaters.

An articulated program: between technology and alpine tradition

On Monday, March 10, the inaugural ceremony was held in San Candido, officially kicking off the exercise. In this first phase, the participating units completed acclimatization activities and verified the efficiency of technical and logistical materials, essential for subsequent high-altitude maneuvers.

On Tuesday, March 11, the first tactical reconnaissance movements and patrol exercises in snow and extreme cold conditions took place, with particular attention to the integration between operational units and advanced technological systems provided by the 9th Rombo Regiment and the 4th Altair Regiment. The units tested the use of tactical drones for territorial control and protected communication systems in a mountain environment.

In the following days, the White Fox exercise system will develop in three main modules:

• Arctic Shield: an opposing forces exercise that will integrate Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) capabilities and will see the use of drones, electronic warfare systems, and cutting-edge technologies. The 9th Rombo Regiment will have the task of enabling troop maneuvers on the ground, coordinating the actions of the 3rd Alpine Regiment and other employed units.
• Ice Patrol: a three-day patrol competition designed to test the endurance, orientation, and survival skills of the alpine troops.
• Ice Challenge: a relay ski-mountaineering test, aimed at maintaining and enhancing the skiing capabilities of personnel in view of international events, such as the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

There will also be a focus on inclusion, thanks to the participation of paralympic personnel from the Defense, who will be involved in sports and training events, enriching the human value of the initiative.

Arctic Forum Dolomites 2025: strategic thinking meets innovation

On March 13, the highlight day of the exercise, the Arctic Forum Dolomites 2025 will take place, an international conference that will see the participation of experts, military personnel, and institutional representatives. The work will be divided into three thematic panels:

1. Geopolitical interests and challenges in the Arctic
2. Strategic approaches for security and defense
3. Multidomain technologies for materials and equipment in polar operations

The work will be concluded by Undersecretary of Defense Isabella Rauti and Chief of Staff General Carmine Masiello, who will reiterate the centrality of a systemic and integrated approach among the components of the national system. As General Masiello will state, "the challenge of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic cannot do without continuous evolution. Never stopping."