Major General Marco Lant

Commander, Combat Forces Command Italian Air Force

Major General Marco Lant was born in Udine, Italy, in 1971 and joined the Italian Air Force Academy in 1990. After earning his military wings at the Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot School in Texas in 1994, he was assigned to the 154th Squadron "Red Devils" of the 6th Wing, flying the Tornado aircraft in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles, including operations over the Balkans. In 2000, as a Captain, he joined Italy's national aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori, serving in several positions before becoming Formation Leader in 2007 and Commander in 2010. Promoted to Colonel, he joined the Air Force General Staff's Logistics Department in 2012 and, after attending the US Air Force Air War College in 2013, contributed to Italy's Joint Strike Fighter programme. In 2016, he took command of the 4th Wing "Amedeo D'Aosta", home to Eurofighter Typhoon squadrons. He subsequently served as Chief of Staff of the EU Operational Headquarters for Operation Sophia, focused on disrupting human trafficking networks in the Mediterranean, and later commanded the Italian Military Support Mission in Niger. Following senior strategic roles within the Italian Air Staff and Ministry of Defence, he became Commander of the Comando Forze da Combattimento in September 2024, overseeing all Italian Air Force tactical wings. He has accumulated more than 4,000 flying hours on a range of training and combat aircraft, including the Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon.