Francesco Milazzo | Rear Admiral (UH) - Marina Militare, Commander of the Submarines - Head of the Submarine Department at the Navy General Staff
Italian Navy

Rear Admiral Francesco MILAZZO was born in Siracusa in 1968. He joined the Navy in 1986; after the Naval Academy in 1990 he attended the Submarine School and started his career on Submarines as Navigator and Weapons Officer. In 1998 LT Milazzo obtained the first naval Command, the Minehunter Numana, and in 1999 participated in a deployment of SNMCMG2 (Standing NATO MCM Group 2), employed in Adriatic Sea after the end of Kosovo War in the Operation Allied Harvest. Back on submarines he served from 1999 to 2002 onboard ITS Marconi, two year as Executive Officer and one as Commanding Officer. From 2002 to 2004 the LT CDR Milazzo was appointed in the Naval Academy as Commanding Officer of a Cadet Company. From 2004 to 2006 he was appointed as first Commanding Officer of the new U212 A Submarine, ITS Todaro, and he was responsible of the conduct of all the sea trials. In 2006 CDR Milazzo attended the Senior Course at the Nato Defense College in Rome and then was appointed Commanding Officer of a Frigate, ITS Maestrale, participating to a 6 months deployment of the SNMG2 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 2) and to the Operation Active Endeavour. From 2007 to 2011 CDR Milazzo served in the Navy General Staff as Head of the 1^ Office (Combat Systems and Weapons) of the Submarine Department. From 2011 to 2013 Captain Milazzo was the Assistant of the Navy Head of Personnel. In 2013 Captain Milazzo was appointed Commanding Officer of ITS Cavour, flagship of the Italian fleet, taking part in a deployment in Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean and around Africa. From 2014 to 2017 he served as Chief of Staff of the Italian Submarine Command (Maricosom) and in this period, from Jan to Jun 2016, he also attended the regular course in the Italian Center for High Studies of the Defense. Since August 2017 the last appointment has been as Head of Training Department at the Command of the Italian Navy Fleet (CINCNAV). From September 2019 to July 2022 he served as Chief of Staff of the NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood (UK). Back in Italy, from September 2022 until April 2025 he was appointed as Commander of the Chief Petty Officers School in Taranto. On 28th April 2025 he was appointed Commander of the Submarines, Head of Submarines and Underwater Dimension Department at the Navy General Staff, Head of the Submarines Programme Office at the Naval Armaments Directorate. Rear Admiral Milazzo is married with Stella and they have a 22 years old son, Alfredo.