Italy, NATO ratify Taranto logistics deal. Authorities officially signed the agreement between the Italian government and the Alliance’s Support and Procurement Agency on Wednesday, kickstarting the management of the NATO Southern Operational Centre in Taranto – now a key Allied logistics hub in the Mediterranean Sea.

Established in 1972 as the “Southern Depot” for the storage of NATO materials, the centre is now one of the international headquarters of the NSPA, whose purpose is to provide multinational procurement and logistical support to the organisation’s member countries.