| Italian Armed Forces | |
|---|---|
| Forze Armate Italiane (FF.AA.) | |
 Coat of arms of the Italian Defence Staff | |
| Founded | 4 May 1861 (164 years, 6 months) |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Rome[1] |
| Leadership | |
| President of Italy |  Sergio Mattarella |
| Prime Minister |  Giorgia Meloni |
| Minister of Defence |  Guido Crosetto |
| Chief of the Defence Staff |  GeneralLuciano Portolano |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel | 165,500[2] |
| Reserve personnel | 18,300[2] |
| Expenditure | |
| Budget | €31.3 billion (2025) ~$33,8 billion(ranked 12th)[3] |
| Percent of GDP | 1.5% (2024)[4] |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | Avio Beretta Fincantieri Fiocchi Munizioni Intermarine Iveco Leonardo Piaggio Aerospace |
| Foreign suppliers |  United States Germany Israel France United Kingdom Canada NATO European Union |
| Annual imports | US$326 million (2014–2022)[5] |
| Annual exports | US$886 million (2014–2022)[5] |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Italy Warfare directory of Italy Wars involving Italy Battles involving Italy |
| Ranks | Army ranks Navy ranks Air Force ranks Carabinieri Ranks |
TheItalian Armed Forces (Italian:Forze armate italiane,pronounced[ˈfɔrtsearˈmaːteitaˈljaːne]) encompass theItalian Army, theItalian Navy and theItalian Air Force. A fourthbranch of the armed forces, known as theCarabinieri, take on the role as the nation'smilitary police and are also involved in missions and operations abroad as a combat force. Despite not being a branch of the armed forces, theGuardia di Finanza andPolizia di Stato is organized along military lines.[6]
These five forces comprise a total of 340,885 men and women with the official status of active military personnel, of which 167,057 are in the Army, Navy and Air Force.[1][7][8][9] ThePresident of Italy heads the armed forces as the President of theHigh Council of Defence established by article 87 of theConstitution of Italy. According to article 78, theParliament has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the powers to lead the war in theGovernment.
Themilitary history of Italy chronicles a vast time period, lasting from the military conflicts fought by theancient peoples of Italy, most notably the conquest of the Mediterranean world by theancient Romans, through the expansion of the Italiancity-states andmaritime republics during themedieval period and the involvement of thehistorical Italian states in theItalian Wars and thewars of succession, to theNapoleonic period, theItalian unification, the campaigns of thecolonial empire, the twoworld wars, and into the modern day, with worldpeacekeeping operations under the aegis ofNATO, theEU or theUN. TheItalian Peninsula has been a centre of military conflict throughoutEuropean history due to its geostrategic position: because of this,Italy has a long military tradition.
TheRisorgimento movement emerged to unite Italy in the 19th century. TheKingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia took the lead in a series of wars to liberate Italy from foreign control. Following threeWars of Italian Independence against the Habsburg Austrians in the north, theExpedition of the Thousand against the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies in the south, and theCapture of Rome, the unification of the country was completed in 1871 when Rome was declared capital of Italy.
Thepresidential standard of Italy (Italian:Stendardo presidenziale italiano) is the distinctive standard of the presence of thePresident of Italy. The presidential standard is one of theNational symbols of Italy. The standard recalls the colors of theflag of Italy, with particular reference to the standard of the historicItalian Republic of 1802–1805; the square shape and thesavoy blue border, whose use was maintained even in the Republican era, symbolize the four Italian Armed Forces, which are commanded by the President of Italy.[14] Blue inheraldry also metaphorically symbolizes command.[15]
The office of the Chief of Defence is organised as follows:[16]
| Position | Italian title | Rank | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Defence Staff | Il Capo di Stato Maggiore della Difesa | Generale | Luciano Portolano |
| Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff | Sottocapo di Stato Maggiore della Difesa | Ammiraglio di Squadra | Giacinto Ottaviani[17] |
| Chief of Joint Operations | Il Comandante delComando Operativo di Vertice Interforze | Generale di corpo d'armata con incarichi speciali | Francesco Paolo Figliuolo[18] |
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TheItalian Army (Italian:Esercito Italiano; abbreviated asEI) is theland force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to theItalian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China andLibya. It fought inNorthern Italy against theAustro-Hungarian Empire duringWorld War I, Abyssinia before World War II and in World War II in Albania, Balkans, North Africa, the Soviet Union, and Italy itself. During theCold War, the army prepared itself to defend against aWarsaw Pact invasion from the east.
Since the end of the Cold War, the army has seen extensive peacekeeping service and combat inAfghanistan andIraq. Its best-knowncombat vehicles are theDardoinfantry fighting vehicle, theCentaurotank destroyer and theArietetank and among its aircraft theMangustaattack helicopter, recently deployed in UN missions. The headquarters of the Army General Staff are located inRome opposite theQuirinal Palace, where thepresident of Italy resides. The army is an all-volunteer force ofactive-duty personnel.
The Italian Army originated as theRoyal Army (Regio Esercito), which dates from theproclamation of the Kingdom of Italy following the seizure of thePapal States and the unification of Italy (Risorgimento). In 1861, under the leadership ofGiuseppe Garibaldi,Victor Emmanuel II of theHouse of Savoy was invited to take the throne and of the newly created kingdom.
The Italian Army has participated in operations to aid populations hit by natural disasters. It has, moreover, supplied a remarkable contribution to the forces of police for the control of the territory of theprovince of Bolzano/Bozen (1967), inSardinia ("Forza Paris" 1992), inSicily ("Vespri Siciliani" 1992) and inCalabria (1994). Currently, it protects sensitive objectives and places throughout the national territory ("Operazione Domino") since theSeptember 11 attacks in the United States.
The army is also engaged in Missions abroad under the aegis of theUN, theNATO, and of Multinational forces, such asBeirut inLebanon (1982),Namibia (1989),Albania (1991),Kurdistan (1991),Somalia (1992),Mozambique (1993),Bosnia (1995),East Timor andKosovo (both in 1999), theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (2001),Darfur (2003),Afghanistan (2002),Iraq (2003) and Lebanon again (2006).
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TheItalian Navy (Italian:Marina Militare,lit. 'Military Navy'; abbreviated asMM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of theRegia Marina (Royal Navy) after World War II. As of August 2014[update], the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active personnel, with approximately 184 vessels in service, including minor auxiliary vessels. It is considered a multiregional and ablue-water navy.[19][20][21]
The navy of Italy was created in 1861, following theproclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. The new navy's baptism of fire came during theThird Italian War of Independence against theAustrian Empire. During theFirst World War, it spent its major efforts in theAdriatic Sea, fighting theAustro-Hungarian Navy. In theSecond World War, it engaged theRoyal Navy in a two-and-a-half-year struggle for the control of theMediterranean Sea. After the war, the newMarina Militare, being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations. It is ablue-water navy. TheGuardia Costiera (Coast Guard) is a component of the navy.
Today's Italian Navy is a modern navy with ships of every type. The fleet is in continuous evolution, and as of today oceangoing fleet units include: 2 lightaircraft carriers, 4amphibious assault ships, 3destroyers, 11frigates and 8attack submarines. Patrol and littoral warfare units include: 10offshore patrol vessels, 10mine countermeasure vessels, 4 coastalpatrol boats, and a varied fleet ofauxiliary ships are also in service.[22] The flagship of the fleet is thecarrierCavour.
Theensign of the Italian Navy is theflag of Italy bearing the coat of arms of the Italian Navy. The shield's quarters refer to the four Medieval ItalianMaritime Republics:
The coat of arms is surmounted by a golden crown, which distinguishes military vessels from those of the merchant navy.
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TheItalian Air Force (Italian:Aeronautica Militare;AM,lit. 'military aeronautics') is theair force of theItalian Republic. Since its formation, the service has held a prominent role in modernItalian military history. The acrobatic display team is theFrecce Tricolori. Italy was among the earliest adopters of military aviation. Its air arm dates back to 1884, when theItalian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) was authorised to acquire its own air component. The Air Service (Corpo Aeronautico Militare) operated balloons based near Rome.
In 1911, reconnaissance and bombing sorties during theItalo-Turkish War by theServizio Aeronautico represented the first use of heavier-than-air aircraft in armed conflict. On 28 March 1923, the Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service byKing Vittorio Emanuele III of theKingdom of Italy.
During the 1930s, it was involved in its first military operations in Ethiopia in 1935, and later in theSpanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. Eventually, Italy enteredWorld War II alongside Germany. After the armistice of 8 September 1943, Italy was divided into two sides, and the same fate befell theRegia Aeronautica. The Air Force was split into theItalian Co-Belligerent Air Force in the south aligned with the Allies, and the pro-AxisAeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana in the north until the end of the war. When Italy was made a republic by referendum, the air force was given its current nameAeronautica Militare. Thecockade of Italy is one of the symbols of the Italian Air Force, and is widely used on all Italian stateaircraft, not only military.[23]
Armed conflicts inSomalia,Mozambique and the nearbyBalkans led to the Italian Air Force becoming a participant in multinational air forces,such as that of NATO over the formerYugoslavia, just a few minutes flying time east of theItalian Peninsula. The commanders of the Italian Air Force soon saw the need to improve the Italian air defences.
TheCarabinieri (/ˌkærəbɪnˈjɛəri/,alsoUS:/ˌkɑːr-/,[24][25]Italian:[karabiˈnjɛːri]; formallyArma dei Carabinieri, "Arm of Carabineers"; previouslyCorpo dei Carabinieri Reali, "Royal Carabineers Corps")[26][27][28][29] are the nationalgendarmerie ofItaly who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's mainlaw enforcement agencies, alongside thePolizia di Stato and theGuardia di Finanza. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourthbranch of the Italian Armed Forces, they come under the authority of theMinistry of Defence; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on theMinistry of the Interior. In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, and both of them are contactable through112, the European Union's Single Emergency number.[30] Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility forpolicing the military, and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.
The corps was instituted in 1814 by KingVictor Emmanuel I of Savoy with the aim of providing theKingdom of Sardinia, the forerunner of theKingdom of Italy, with a police corps. It is therefore older than Italy itself. During the process ofItalian unification, the Carabinieri were appointed as the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule ofBenito Mussolini, they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded duringWorld War II byNazi Germany, which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining theItalian resistance movement.
In 2000, they were separated from the Army to become a separate branch of the Italian Armed Forces. Carabinieri have policing powers that can be exercised at any time and in any part of the country, and they are always permitted to carry their assigned weapon as personal equipment (Beretta 92FS pistols). The Carabinieri are often referred to as "La Benemerita" (The Reputable or The Meritorious) as they are a trusted and prestigious law enforcement institution in Italy. The first official account of the use of this term to refer to the Carabinieri dates back to 24 June 1864.[31]
The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for eachprovince of Italy. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated the localpolice stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public. They carry out peacekeeping mission abroad, such asKosovo,Afghanistan, andIraq. At theSea Islands Conference of theG8 in 2004, the Carabinieri were given the mandate to establish aCenter of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU) to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.[32]
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TheTomb of the Italian Unknown Soldier (Italian:Tomba del Milite Ignoto) is awar memorial located inRome under the statue of thegoddess Roma at theAltare della Patria. It is asacellum dedicated to the Italian soldiers killed and missing duringwar.
It is the scene of official ceremonies that take place annually on the occasion of theItalian Liberation Day (April 25), theItalian Republic Day (June 2) and theNational Unity and Armed Forces Day (November 4), during which thePresident of the Italian Republic and thehighest offices of the State pay homage to the shrine of the Unknown Soldier with the deposition of alaurel wreath in memory of the fallen and missingItalians in the wars.
The reason for his strongsymbolism lies in themetaphorical transition from the figure of the soldier to that of thepeople and finally to that of thenation: this transition between increasingly broader and generic concepts is due to the indistinct traits of the non-identification of the soldier.[33]
His tomb is a symbolic shrine that represents all the fallen and missing in the war.[34] The side of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier that gives outward at the Altare della Patria is always guarded by a guard of honour and two flames that burn perpetually in braziers.[35]
The allegorical meaning of the perpetually burning flames is linked to their symbolism, which is centuries old, since it has its origins inclassical antiquity, especially in thecult of the dead. A fire that burns eternally symbolizes the memory, in this case of the sacrifice of the Unknown Soldier moved by patriotic love, and his everlasting memory of the Italians, even in those who are far from their country: not by chance on the two perennial braziers next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier a plaque is placed whose text reads "Italians Abroad to the Motherland" in memory of donations made byItalian emigrants between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century for the construction of the Vittoriano.[36]
Italy has joined in manyUN,NATO andEU operations as well as with assistance toRussia and the otherCIS nations,Middle East peace process,peacekeeping, and combating theillegal drug trade,human trafficking, piracy and terrorism.
Italy did take part in the 1982Multinational Force in Lebanon along with US, French and British troops. Italy also participated in the 1990–91Gulf War, with the deployment of eight Panavia Tornado IDS bomber jets; Italian Army troops were subsequently deployed to assistKurdish refugees in northernIraq following the conflict.
As part ofOperation Enduring Freedom, Italy contributed to the international operation inAfghanistan. Italian forces have contributed toISAF, the NATO force inAfghanistan, and to theProvincial reconstruction team. Italy has sent 3,800 troops, including one infantry company from the2nd Alpini Regiment tasked to protect the ISAF HQ, one engineer company, one NBC platoon, one logistic unit, as well as liaison and staff elements integrated into the operationchain of command. Italian forces also command a multinational engineer task force and have deployed a platoon of Carabinierimilitary police.
The Italian Army did not take part in combat operations of the 2003Iraq War, dispatching troops only when major combat operations were declared over by theU.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush. Subsequently, Italian troops arrived in the late summer of 2003, and began patrollingNasiriyah and the surrounding area. Italian participation in the military operations in Iraq was concluded by the end of 2006, with full withdrawal of Italian military personnel except for a small group of about 30 soldiers engaged in providing security for the Italian embassy inBaghdad. Italy played a major role in the 2004–2011NATO Training Mission to assist in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions.
Since the secondpost-war the Italian armed force has become more and more engaged in international peace support operations, mainly under the auspices of the United Nations and European Union. The Italian armed forces are currently participating in 17 missions.[1]
United Nations European UnionNATOThe Italian armed forces participated in 10 operations since the secondpost-war.
United Nations European UnionNATO
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... Ludendorff wrote:In Vittorio Veneto, Austria did not lose a battle, but lose the war and itself, dragging Germany in its fall. Without the destructive battle of Vittorio Veneto, we would have been able, in a military union with the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, to continue the desperate resistance through the whole winter, in order to obtain a less harsh peace, because the Allies were very fatigued.
