R&DA 65th Annual Spring Meeting
Eat…aly
Captain (SC Italian Navy)
Alessandro PINI
Naples (not Italy!), May 23rd 2011
Italians….
I don’t
see any
proble
m!!!
Italians….
Italy is
going
adrift!!!
We should
do
something!
!
Italians….
Something that…..
• helps taking the most important decisions;
• is the first act of our life;
• we do ca. 80,000 times in our life;
• is the most personal;
• shows people who we are;
• all TVs, radios, movies speak about;
• even Jesus used for His miracles!
Eating
what does it mean ???
From Greek “”
from Latin “edere”
from old English “etan”
Eat
Menu…
what does it mean ???
from Latin “minutus”
something made small
hence the term “minutes”
Menu???
The first restaurant menus arose roughly one millennium
ago in China.
In Europe, the “menu” appeared for the first time at the
end of ‘700, but the real “baptism” happened between 1810
and 1815, at the court of the Russian Czar. Here, instead of
eating what was being served from a common table,
restaurants allowed diners to choose from a list of unseen
dishes, which were produced to order according to the
customer's selection.
There was a “french” way of serving (all food was put on a
table) and a “russian” way (food was brought to the table by
many servants).
What’s goin’
on
in NATO???
RTG – 154: Combat ration for the NRF
Participating Nations:
 Australia
 Germany;
 Belgium
 Italy;
 Canada
 Netherland;
 Check Republic;
 Norway
 France;
 Slovenia;
 Georgia (ex U.R.S.S.);
 United Kingdom;
 United States (Chairman)
started in April, 2006 - expired April, 2009.
A combat ration for the
NATO RESPONSE FORCE
NRF is a land/air/sea highly ready and technologically
advanced Force (up to 25,000 people) deployable
everywhere within 5 days of notice and self sustaining for
30 days with no re-supply.
It is capable of performing missions worldwide across the
whole spectrum of operations. These include evacuations,
disaster management, counterterrorism, and acting as ‘an
initial entry force’ for larger, follow-on Forces.
“First-in, first-out”
RTG – 154: Combat ration for the NRF:
major issues
1. Definition of current types and characteristics of individual
rations (and supplements) provided by each Nation;
2. Identification of the requirements/capabilities required to
support NRF (30 days);
3. Recommendations for nutritional values requirement;
4. Recommendations for non nutritional aspects of ration
consumption (psychological/behavioural): menu fatigue,
cultural preferences, stress and their consequences on
nutrition in the field;
5. Recommendations for ration interoperability.
STANAG NATO 2937
Following the successful completion of the NATO Research Task
Group 154, as a result of the extensive knowledge gained on
NATO operational rations as well as the synergy of the group, the
Chairman and members were requested to participate in a Expert
Team called together to develop a new STANAG to replace
STANAG 2937.
The current promulgated STANAG 2937 is Edition 3, May 2001.
There were several attempts to draft a new STANAG, but all failed
due to many national changes so it has been recommended that
this ET consider an entirely new STANAG rather than attempt to
revise the last version.
RTG – 154:
Combat ration for the NRF
Int’l Expert Panel for
STANAG NATO 2937
Int’l Expert Panel for
STANAG NATO 2937
Participating Nations:
 Australia;
 Netherland;
 Belgium;
 Norway;
 Canada;
 Poland;
 France;
 Slovenia;
 Germany;
 Sweden;
 Italy;
 United Kingdom;
 United States.
started Nov 2010 – due to end by Sept 2012.
STANAG NATO 2937
STANAG: “A normative document recording
an agreement among several or all NATO
member Nations that has been ratified at the
authorized National level, to implement a
standard, in whole or in part, with or without
reservation”.
STANAGs are becoming more important
in support of multinational operations.
STANAG vs. STANREC
STANAG
STANREC
Agreement
Recommendations
Must be ratified
Approval for use
Binding
Non-binding
Needs implementation
Use on voluntary basis/
no commitment
Promulgation after
approval with silence
procedure
Promulgation after
ratification
STANAG vs. STANREC
(2)
Because:
• the more interoperability is needed, the more likely the
document should be a STANAG;
• STANRECs are intended to cover material standards;
• if a STANREC is then found to require interoperability, it
should enter the ratification process as a STANAG;
• a STANREC is more like a proposal,
the EP decided to go for a STANAG.
Int’l EP for STANAG 2937: challenges
• Food Safety
• Food Defence
• Interoperability
Operational
Ration Packs
Individual
Fresh Food
Group
STANAG NATO 2937: a brief history
Nr 21
11/2010
Int’l EP for STANAG 2937:
desired end state
• STANAG result: interoperability
– in the field
– in planning
• STANAG document: part of Tech/Log Specs
– for suppliers
– for outsourcing partners
Int’l EP for STANAG NATO 2937:
the road map
• Nov 2010 (Munich, Germany):
– template (issue definition)
– chapter author identification
• March 2011 (Oslo, Norway): 1st draft per chapter
– check consistency amongst chapters
– discussion of principles
• November 2011 (Ghent, Belgium):
– refining chapters
– discuss feasability of ratification
• March 2012 (Natick, U.S.A.):
– finalize documents
– GER will prepare final documents for ratification
• Sep 2012 - Final ratification draft to be ready.
STANAG NATO 2937:
how it will look like
• Title: “Requirements of individual operational
rations for military use”;
• Aim: “To improve interoperability of NATO
military forces by standardizing the minimal
characteristics and quality assurance of general
purpose individual operations rations, describing
special purpose rations and providing guidance
for supplying these rations”.
STANAG NATO 2937:
how it will look like (2)
• Chapter 1: introduction
• Chapter 2: definitions
• Individual operational ration definition: “The
general purpose individual operational ration shall
provide appropriate nutrition for 1 person for 24
hours and is intended to maintain good health,
physical performance, cognitive function and morale
during military operations. This ration shall be shelf
stable, wholesome, and enable safety, self sustained
feeding in most environmental conditions”.
STANAG NATO 2937:
how it will look like (3)
• Chapter 3: general purpose rations (shelf life
after
assembly,
nutritional
content,
interoperability, acceptance, quality assurance,
duration of use);
• Chapter 4: special purpose rations (suitability,
operational and environmental conditions, cold
climate conditions, hot climate conditions,
Special Forces /Long Range Patrol, Assault
Rations, Survival Rations, Emergency Rations,
High Altitude Rations);
• Chapter 5: additional guidance for supply.
What’s goin’
on
in Italy???
Italian military feeding:
what’s new?
The Italian Committee for Military Research
has approved a new Project to conduct a
study (based on anthropometric, skinfold and
nutritional criteria) on a group of 3,000
soldiers (Joint Services) in order to verify if
the needs of consumers are really covered (+
or -) by the Italian nutritional military
standards.
Italian military feeding:
what’s new? (2)
The nutritional content of Italian military
rations is actually based on the Italian
nutritional standards for civilian (L.A.R.N. =
Recommended Level of Assumption of
Nutrients) adjusted in terms of P.A.L.
(Physical Activity Level) and of basic
metabolism.
“Soldier of the Future” Programme
The NATO Army Armament Group (NAAG) has decided to
coordinate soldier system interoperability and to prevent
unnecessary duplication between various Nations' soldier
systems. Italy is part of this initiative.
 Early 2000: start
 2002: 1st contract awarded;
 ……/2007: 3 prototypes tested/1st phase completed;
 beginning 2010: 1st preseries batch (30 systems, under test);
 end 2010: 2nd preseries test (62 systems);
 2012/2014: series configuration.
“Soldier of the Future” Programme
(2)
5 key areas agreed within NATO:
 lethality: target acquisition, recognition & strike;
 C2, communication, info processing, situation awareness
(C4ISTAR);
 survivability;
 mobility;
 system sustainability (available quantity of electricity for
optronic systems, ammo, food, drinks and consuming
goods).
Future Soldier Programme
(3)
The General Secretariat of Defence has
decided to implement the result of
NATO RTG-154 to design and produce a
combat ration for the Programme
“Soldier of the Future”.
Thus Italy will be the first Nation to
adopt a combat ration totally produced
according to NATO standards.
Eating: a trip lasting 7000 years!
• Prehystory (fm 5000 b.C.): discovery of fire; from nomadic to
sedentary life (agricolture & breeding);
• Egyptians (fm 3000 b.C.): food in the tombs; fertility of Nile; 2
meals/day (dawn/evening);
• Greeks (fm 2500 b.C.): sheep farming; cheese production (feta
cheese in greek salad); vine cultivation;
• Romans (fm 750 b.C. to 400 a.C.): eating lying down on
“triclinia”; pump & ostentation; “strange” food (peacocks,
parrots, flamingos); Apicio, the Roman “gourmet”;
• Middle Age (fm 400 a. C.): the barbarian invasions; cultivation
in Monasteries/Abbeys; sugar (by the Arabs); invention of
butter;
Eating: a trip lasting 7000 years!
(2)
• Humanism & Renaissance (1300 – 1500): magnificence &
hedonism; invention of glasses, forks, toothpicks; gastronomy
moves from Florence to Paris;
• 17th Century: French culture (Dom Perignon 1688); cooking
becomes a form of “art”;
• 18th Century: French revolution; mayonnaise; flame
regulation;
• 19th Century: modern catering (Escoffier);
• 20th Century: vehicles let people moving (Michelin Guide);
economic boom after WW2 (refrigerators, ovens); less time to
cook; interest for caloric/dietetic intake;
Eating: a trip lasting 7000 years!
(3)
• Middle ’60s: Nouvelle Cuisine (simplicity of recipes;
shortening of cooking time, eating what’s available on the
market, local cuisine);
• 21st Century: molecular gastronomy (Ferràn Adrià):
decomposing food and rearrange it as per chemical elements;
• 22th Century: ??????????????????
Eating is so “personal”….
If you liked
my presentation,
NOW it’s time to clap!!!
For info about Italian feeding
system & combat rations:
Captain (Navy) Alessandro PINI
General Directorate for Supply & General Services
Italian Ministry of Defence
Piazza della Marina 4
00196 Rome, Italy
Tel: + 39 - 06 36803800
udgs4@commiservizi.difesa.it
www.commiservizi.difesa.it