Giampaolo Di Paola
Giampaolo Di Paola
Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola (Retired) joined the Italian Navy in 1963 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1966. Soon after the graduation in 1967 he attended the Submarine School and underwent fleet training on board submarines. He served in junior officer appointments in conventional submarines and commanded the submarines “Cappellini” (1974-75) and “Sauro” (1980-81). In 1981 he attended the NATO Defense College in Rome. From l98l to 1984 Giampaolo Di Paola served as Anti Submarine Warfare and Undersea Warfare Program Officer, Long Term Planning Branch, in the Suprerne Allied Command Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia (USA). In 1984 he assumed command of the frigate “Grecale”. Thereafter, in 1986, he was appointed to the Navy Staff in Rome as Plans and Programs Branch Chief in the Directorate of General and Financial Planning. From 1989 to 1990, as a Captain, he commanded the aircraft carrier “Garibaldi”. At the end of 1990 he returned to the Navy Staff and was appointed as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff (1990-91), then as Chief of Naval Plans and Policy Branch (1991-92), and finally as Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations (1993-94). With the rank of Rear Admiral (lower half) in 1994 he was assigned to the Defence Staff in the Ministry of Defence where he became Chief of the Directorate of Defence Policy (1994-98). From 1998 to 2001, with the rank of Rear Admiral, he assumed the position of Chief of the Cabinet Office of the Ministry of Defence. On the lst of January 1999 he was promoted Vice Admiral. In March 2001 he was appointed Secretary General of Defence /National Armaments Director. He was promoted Admiral on l0 March 2004 on becoming Chief of Defence. On 27 June 2008, he became Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Nato’s top senior military Post that he held until 16 nov 2011. On l8 Nov 2011 he was appointed Minister of Defence of Italy in the Government of Mario Monti, position that he held until 26 April 2013. Admiral Di Paola holds a degree in Strategic and Military Sciences and an “ad honorem” Masters degree in Sciences.
