The Italian Army is looking for private sponsors to help make up for government-imposed budget cuts, Army chief of Staff General Filibeto Cecchi said on Wednesday.
However, this does not mean that army tanks and planes will soon be sporting Coca Cola logos or advertisements for the latest blockbuster movie, the general promised.
"Private sponsors will allow us to do things which our budget, after the latest, critical cuts, would otherwise not permit us," he explained.
According to the general, private sponsorship could help cover costs for such events as Armed Forces Day parade, May 4, and the military's extensive sports programs which have turned out scores of Olympic champions over the years.
An area where private sponsorship would not be welcomed, General Cecchi concluded, would be for operations of a strictly military nature.
