Italian armed forces

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ItalyItaly Italian Armed Forces
Forze armate italiane
Coat of arms of the General Staff of the Armed Forces
guide
Commander in Chief : President
Sergio Mattarella
Defense Minister: Lorenzo Guerini
Military Commander: Chief of Staff
General
Enzo Vecciarelli
Headquarters: Rome
Military strength
Active soldiers: 171,079 soldiers

109,576 Carabinieri
(as of 2019)

Conscription: suspended (since 2005)
Eligibility for military service: 18th year of life
household
Military budget: 21.4 billion EUR (2019)
Share of gross domestic product : 1.21% (2019)
history
Founding: March 17, 1861 (proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy)
Factual foundation: 1946

The Italian armed forces ( Italian Forze armate italiane ) are the military of the Italian Republic and are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense in Rome . They consist of the armed forces Army ( Esercito Italiano ), Navy ( Marina Militare ) and Air Force ( Aeronautica Militare ) as well as the Carabinieri ( Arma dei Carabinieri ).

assignment

According to the 2015 Defense White Paper, the Italian armed forces have the mandate to

  • defend the Euro-Atlantic alliance territory within NATO ;
  • to make a peacekeeping or peacebuilding contribution to the resolution of international conflicts within the framework of international organizations or bilateral or multilateral agreements;
  • to contribute internally to the protection of the free and democratic basic order and, in particular, to provide assistance in emergencies or disasters.

Article 11 of the Italian Constitution reads as follows: Italy rejects war as a means of attacking the freedom of other peoples and as a means of resolving international disputes; on the condition of equality with the other states, it agrees to the restrictions on sovereignty necessary for an interstate order guaranteeing peace and justice among peoples; it promotes and favors the international organizations geared towards this end.

organization

Troop flags of the four branches of the armed forces and the Guardia di Finanza (parade in Rome, June 2, 2006)

The Carabinieri are a military police force that takes on military police tasks within the other armed forces . In addition, the Carabinieri protect diplomatic missions abroad and take part in international peacekeeping operations. The majority of the Carabinieri, however, perform police duties throughout Italy according to the instructions of the Interior Ministry . If necessary, these units can take part in border and national defense as a kind of territorial army.

The Guardia di Finanza (financial police, border guard), which is subordinate to the Ministry of Finance , and the Guardia Costiera (coast guard) run by the Ministry of Transport can also be subordinated to the Ministry of Defense in the event of a defense for border and national defense.

Professional army

The general conscription is exposed in Italy since July 1 of 2005. As part of the preparations for the conversion to a volunteer army, a nominal strength of 190,000 men and women was initially set for the army, navy and air force. This workforce has proven to be oversized due to insufficient defense spending, especially since the beginning of the euro crisis and the resulting austerity requirements. The defense budget has been around 20 billion euros for years, which is also used to finance the Carabinieri. The funds for foreign missions and selected procurement projects that are important for industrial policy come from other budgets, which indirectly compensates for the high proportion of personnel expenditure in the official defense budget. The total expenditure for the four branches of the armed forces was around 23.48 billion euros in 2017, which corresponds to 1.37 percent of the gross domestic product . Due to the need to further reduce personnel costs, it was decided in 2012 as part of a so-called spending review to achieve the new target strength of 150,000 soldiers by 2024 (Army 89,400, Navy 26,800, Air Force 33,800) and the civilian personnel to be reduced to 20,000. The actual strength, which had to be reduced somewhat in the previous years, was 177,000 soldiers and around 30,000 civilians in 2013. Considerations to subordinate the Carabinieri, almost entirely spared by the cuts, to the Ministry of the Interior (and even to make their budget available to the other branches of the armed forces) were repeatedly rejected.

Management structure

Defense Minister flag

Political leadership

According to the constitution, the president has the supreme command and control over the Italian armed forces. He is chairman of the “Supreme Defense Council” ( Consiglio Supremo di Difesa ), which includes the Prime Minister , the Ministers for Foreign Affairs , Interior, Finance, Defense and Industry and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. This body, which usually meets every six months, is an advisory body, but also gives the President the opportunity to enforce his constitutional supreme authority in matters of defense. In the constitutional reality, however, parliament and government determine the military policy guidelines. The defense minister is politically responsible for implementing them.

The Ministry of Defense is the central body for the command, organization and administration of the Italian armed forces. Under the political level of the minister and the (exclusively parliamentary) state secretaries, there are two major leadership areas, the General Staff of the Armed Forces ( Stato Maggiore della Difesa-SMD ) on one side and the General Secretariat of the Ministry ( Segretariato Generale della Difesa-SGD ) on the other Page that is also the "National Armaments Directorate " ( Direzione Nazionale degli Armamenti ). The minister can also use the civil intelligence service Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (AISE), some of which also covers military issues.

General Staff

Alpini doing an exercise

The General Staff of the Armed Forces (Stato Maggiore della Difesa-SMD) has been the central military planning and commanding body of the Italian armed forces since 1997. Until 1997, this general staff only had coordination competences as primus inter pares vis-à-vis the general staffs of the armed forces . The Centro Intelligence Interforze reports to the 2nd General Staff Department for operational military intelligence . To conduct military operations, the Chief of Staff of the Comando Operativo di vertice Interforze -COI ( Eng . "Einsatzführungkommando", Rome-Centocelle ), with which he can direct cross-armed operations past the general staffs of the army, navy and air force. The Carabinieri are subordinate to the Chief of Staff only in military-operational matters (e.g. military police missions on missions abroad). For the uniform planning and implementation of special operations, the command interforze per le Operazioni delle Forze Speciali (“COFS”) was created in December 2004 by the operational command (“COI ”). In terms of troop service, the Italian special units are still subordinate to the four branches of the armed forces, but common fundamental issues and, above all, uniform operational management are the responsibility of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. In 2017, the Comando Interforze per le Operazioni Cibernetiche ("CIOC"), an organization for cyber operations, was added. The military medical services of the armed forces form a network in various areas that is subordinate to the Ispettorato generale della sanità militare at the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The Chief of General Staff also reports to a number of training institutions, including the Command Academy of the Italian Armed Forces ( Centro Alti Studi per la Difesa -CASD) with its General Staff Institute (Istituto Superiore di Stato Maggiore Interforze-ISSMI) .

General Secretariat / National Armaments Directorate

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense ( Segretario Generale della Difesa-SGD ) coordinates the work of the current nine departments of the Ministry. Among other things, military procurement is located here, which is why the Secretary General is also the “National Armaments Director ” ( Direttore Nazionale degli Armamenti-DNA ). This position has never been filled by a civilian, and that of the deputy as a rule. The SGD / DNA reports directly to the minister. However, the chief of staff has the right to issue instructions to the general secretary within the framework of his planning responsibilities in the overall conception of the armed forces.

Personnel structure

Italian sailing training ship Amerigo Vespucci

Teams

Even before the last ten-month conscription (and alternative civilian service ) was abolished , the Italian armed forces changed their personnel and career structure, which received the latest modifications in 2004. Thus, there is now a "voluntary" one-year military service ( volontario in Ferma Prefissata 1 - VFP1 ), which, however, with the teams prerequisite for further commitment in the army and in particular a prerequisite for entry into the early uses of the Carabinieri , the Polizia di Stato , the Guardia di Finanza , the Guardia Costiera and to some extent other organizations in the civil protection and defense administration. This one-year military service can possibly be repeated once. However, access to the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza is made easier if you continue to commit yourself for another four years (VFP4). The VFP4 contract soldiers form the backbone of the Italian armed forces. They serve especially with the combat units, which are also intended for missions abroad. Since not all volunteers can later be taken on by the army and police, they receive on-duty professional training courses, whereby the Ministry of Defense has concluded agreements with (defense) industrial companies that show interest in former soldiers. With these initiatives, the army has taken on an important socio-political role, especially with regard to the tight labor market situation for young people in southern Italy. The attractiveness of the service is also high in the team career, which is why the armed forces have the opportunity to choose their personnel (also according to the criteria of the later customers in the police force). After the four-year service period has expired, the volunteers can possibly extend another 2 × 2 years, so that a maximum of ten years in the army can be achieved through temporary contracts. Suitable volunteers in the army, navy and air force can become professional soldiers after five years ( Volontario in Servizio Permanente - VSP ; these teams already have non-commissioned officer status in terms of salary) and, after a while , be promoted to non-commissioned officers without porterage . A further rise in the high career of the NCOs with Portepee is possible with probation, but is made much easier by the possession of a high school diploma.

NCOs

Italian Eurofighter of the 4º Stormo

In the case of NCOs , NCOs with portepee were separated from NCOs without portepee and the teams as early as the mid-1990s . High school graduates can apply directly for entry into the career of NCOs. P. apply. They receive military training for two years at the non-commissioned officers' schools and also go to a civilian university , where they usually study "economics and organizational sciences" and obtain a bachelor's degree after three years . These soldiers are now active in assignments (especially as platoon leaders ) that were formerly often reserved exclusively for officers. Due to this reorganization, the “Maresciallo” (Sergeant, 5 ranks), which is already popular in Italy (especially among the Carabinieri), has experienced a significant qualitative improvement.

Officers

The officers today represent a real elite, who as a rule receive military and academic training for four years at the military academies in Modena and Turin or Rome (Heer and Carabinieri), Livorno (Navy) and Pozzuoli near Naples (Air Force), and besides that, too study at civil universities until they acquire a master's degree after five years . Applicants with degrees in special fields of study can also be hired directly if necessary and, after a shorter military training, receive the rank of sub-lieutenant or lieutenant . After a certain period of time, the armed forces also enable some officers to study for postgraduate or research studies . Further training stations for officers include U. the leadership academies of the armed forces (staff officer course, general staff course) and finally the leadership academy of the armed forces ( CASD ).

reserve

Bersaglieri on Iveco LMVs during a maneuver

With the suspension of compulsory military service , the entire reservist system ( forze di completamento ) was placed on the basis of voluntariness. After retiring from active service, soldiers of all ranks can formally declare their readiness to make themselves available to the armed forces within the framework of the reserve (up to a maximum of 45 years of age, special regulations apply to professional soldiers). The employment relationship is similar to that of temporary work , whereby the number of annual service days may not generally exceed 180 days. In this context, a job protection law from 1955 applies. In the event of reactivation, the reservist is on an equal footing with the other soldiers in every respect, including pay. The active military units usually maintain reserve units that maintain contact with their former relatives and reservists and train the latter accordingly if necessary. These reserve units would play a special role in the event of tension or defense, and if military service were reintroduced. Reservists are currently regularly deployed to active units after four to six weeks of training, including abroad.

Since the armed forces have a permanent need for highly qualified and experienced specialists in special fields, it is possible, with the appropriate qualifications, to become an underserved civilian reservist in the so-called riserva selezionata (“selected reserve”). Engineers, doctors, psychologists and language mediators are particularly in demand here. Before being accepted into this special reserve, a four-week course must normally be completed at a military school. Of the possibility of these reserve officers e.g. It is widely used, for example, in peace missions abroad.

Forces and equipment

Below is a selection of the most important weapon systems (not all information is always up to date):

Coat of arms of the Esercito Italiano.svg army

For the main article, see Italian Army

Tanks and armored vehicles

Main battle tank Ariete
Freccia infantry fighting vehicle

artillery

helicopter

AW139 helicopter

Coat of arms of Marina Militare.svg marine

Main article see Italian Navy

Sea vessels

Aircraft carrier Garibaldi
Frigate Carlo Bergamini

Aircraft

  • 2 F-35B (fighter aircraft, in delivery, 15 planned)
  • 16 AV-8B + Harrier II (fighter aircraft, formerly 18)
  • 22 EH-101 (multipurpose helicopter)
  • 56 NH90 (46 NFH, 10 TTH helicopters, on delivery; some AB-212ASW still active)

Coat of arms of the Italian Air Force, svg air force

For the main article, see Italian Air Force

Alenia C-27J transport aircraft
Predator (drone) of the Italian Air Force
  • 8 F-35 (fighter aircraft, in delivery, 75 planned)
  • 95 Eurofighter (fighter aircraft, formerly 96)
  • 76 tornadoes (fighter aircraft, around 50 still active, 16 of them ECR; previously 100)
  • 62 AMX (fighter aircraft, just under 30 active; formerly 138)
  • 73 MB 339 (trainer and light ground attack aircraft)
  • 21 C-130J (transport aircraft and tanker)
  • 12 C-27J (transport aircraft)
  • 4 Boeing 767 (tanker and transport aircraft)
  • 12 AW101 (rescue and transport helicopter on delivery)
  • 12 AW139 (rescue and transport helicopter)
  • 32 AB-212 (rescue and transport helicopter in retirement)
  • 49 NH 500 (training and light combat helicopter)
  • 10 Predator (drone) (including 4 Predator B / MQ-9 Reaper)

Stemma Arma Carabinieri.jpg Carabinieri

For the main article, see Carabinieri

history

The modern Italian nation-state emerged from the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont in 1861 . Many of Italy's state institutions that still exist today, including the armed forces, were taken over by this kingdom and then expanded.

Battle of San Martino (painting by Luigi Norfini, 1859)
Alpini in World War I (1915)

The Piedmontese army was enlarged between 1859 and 1861 with troop contingents from other Italian states and with Garibaldi's freelance troops , and on May 4, 1861, it was renamed the Italian army. In November 1860, the naval forces were merged under Piedmontese direction, but in this case they were more oriented towards the former navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . The Italian Air Force was set up in 1923 by amalgamating the air forces of the army and navy as far as possible in the new, third armed force. The subsequent gradual abolition of the remaining army and naval aviators turned out to be a wrong decision, which was made worse by the insufficient cooperation between the armed forces.

The need for a joint general staff of the armed forces was recognized early on. The General Staff of the Armed Forces created in 1925, however, did not meet the recognized needs in terms of its powers and the personnel and material equipment until 1941. In this context, the armed forces' competitiveness and vested interests also played a negative role.

Bomber Piaggio P.108 (1942)

The military history of the Kingdom of Italy is characterized by wars of aggression, which the respective political leaders usually decided at short notice without taking into account the state and the capacities of the armed forces necessary for wars of aggression. Economic, geostrategic and topographical factors and the lack of public support for such wars were also often ignored. Inadequate preparation, leadership, motivation and equipment led to military disasters (including the Greco-Italian War , Italian invasion of Egypt ) in the area of ​​the Italian land forces , especially in World War II , which solidified an image of military inability both internationally and in Italy itself.

After 1945 the military leadership tried to counteract this picture by mainly re-establishing associations and units that had distinguished themselves in World War II despite the circumstances mentioned. In addition to the difficult moral reconstruction, material reconstruction benefited from American military aid through the Cold War until the end of the 1950s . In the further course, a chronic underfunding weakened the Italian armed forces, which continued to suffer structurally and operationally from the vested interests of the armed forces: the dispute between the air force and the navy over the expansion of naval aviation was only resolved in 1989.

The Italian armed forces (excluding Carabinieri), which were around 400,000 strong during the Cold War, were gradually reduced in size from the end of the 1980s. The new "defense model" (Nuovo Modello di Difesa-NMD) set the personnel strength in 1997 at a total of 250,000 men (army 150,000, navy 40,000, air force 60,000). The comprehensive reform of the armed forces initiated in 1997 included a reorganization of the Defense Ministry and the General Staff as well as a reorganization and rationalization of most of the other military command structures. Of particular importance here was the significant upgrading of the general staff of the armed forces and the associated limitation of the particularism of the armed forces.

For the desired professional and volunteer army, a target strength of 190,000 men and women was established in 2000 (Law 14.11.00 / 331) (Army 112,000, Navy 34,000, Air Force 44,000). The reforms and the suspension of conscription in 2005 brought Italy more professional armed forces, but as in the past they remained underfunded. The worsening financial problems in the course of the euro crisis made it necessary to further reduce the workforce in 2012.

In the last few decades the Italian armed forces have participated in a number of international military operations and provided disaster relief at home and abroad. Although this was mostly recognized by the public, it did nothing to change the sometimes harsh public criticism of armaments projects that were perceived as overpriced.

One of the first in a series of several overseas missions in Albania was Operation Pelican , which brought humanitarian aid to neighbors from 1991 to 1993.

From 2016, the Italian Armed Forces began to engage in Libya and the civil war in Libya since 2014 . They are considered to be close allies of the Libyan armed forces , which support the western government under Fayiz al-Sarradsch . In 2017 the Italian armed forces moved parts of the 3º Reggimento bersaglieri from Sardinia to Misrata , which led to protests in the Libyan population. Protesters burned Italian flags and held up banners with the image of the former Libyan resistance fighter Umar al-Muchtar . In January 2018, the Italian Parliament approved the stationing of troops in Libya, which in turn was strongly condemned by the Tobruk- based Parliament of Libya .

Uniform uniform badges

Greca Italian generals and admirals

All soldiers in the Italian armed forces, including members of police organizations with military status, have been recognizable by the so-called activity stars on their uniform collars since 1871 . On special occasions, Italian officers wear a blue sash from right shoulder to left hip ( adjutants vice versa). The meander embroidery (it. Greca ) on the rank badges of all generals and admirals is also typical .

See also

Web links

Commons : Forze Armate Italiane  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Documento Programmatico Pluriennale 2019-2021. (pdf) In: www.difesa.it. Ministero della Difesa , 2019, accessed July 26, 2020 (Italian).
  2. ^ "Libro bianco per la sicurezza internazionale e la difesa" , White Paper on International Security and Defense, Italian Ministry of Defense, April 2015 (item 81)
  3. ↑ Italian constitution in Italian and German , website of the Trentino-Alto Adige region (slightly modified translation of Art. 11 comes from the Italian Chamber of Deputies )
  4. ^ 17 November 1860, nasce la Marina Militare. Noteiario della Marina, November 17, 2015, marina.difesa.it
  5. ↑ Emilio Canevari: Retroscena della disfatta. Tosi, Rome 1948. Volume 1, pp. 125f
  6. ^ Filippo Stefani: La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'esercito italiano. USSME, Rome 1986. Volume 1
  7. ↑ Carlo Favagrossa : Perché la guerra perdemmo . Rizzoli, Milan 1946.
  8. ^ Indro Montanelli , Mario Cervi: L'Italia della disfatta . Rizzoli, Milan 1982. Introductory section Sapore di fell
  9. ↑ Details on the development of the relevant legal situation between 1923 and 1989 on marina.difesa.it
  10. ^ Standard per l'istituzione del servizio militare professionale
  11. ^ Libya army delegation in Rome for talks with Italian military
  12. ↑ Eastern authority condemns Italy decision to increase troops in Libya
  13. ↑ Italy Beefs up its Military Presence in Libya Libya Express December 3, 2017
  14. ↑ HoR Defense Committee deplores Italian Parliament's vote to increase forces in Misrata Libya Herald January 19, 2018
  15. ^ Richard Knötel , Handbuch der Uniformkunde , revised by H. Knötel the Elder. J. and H. Sieg, Schulz, Hamburg, 1937, ss. 233, 414 and 435.
  16. ^ Richard Knötel , Handbuch der Uniformkunde , revised by H. Knötel the Elder. J. and H. Sieg, Schulz, Hamburg, 1937, s. 239.