Structure of the Italian Army

The article provides an overview of the entire chain of command and organization of the Italian Army after the reform of 1 October 2016 and includes all currently active units. The Armed Forces of Italy are under the command of the Italian Supreme Defense Council, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic. The Italian Army is commanded by the Chief of the Army General Staff or "Capo di Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito" in Rome.[1]

Chief of the Army General Staff

The Chief of the Army General Staff in Rome, a four star general, commands the entire Italian Army. However the Army General Staff itself is commanded by the Vice-Chief of the Army General Staff. The only two commands that are part of the office of the Chief of the Army General Staff are the Personnel Disposition Department and the Army Administrative Responsibility Center. All other functions are delegated to sub-commands.

Army General Staff

The Army General Staff in Rome is tasked with analysis, research, development and general tasks of the army.

  • Army General Staff in Rome (Lazio)
    • Vice-Chief of the Army General Staff Office
    • Administration Office
    • Special Operations Office
    • General Security Office
    • Document Transfer Office
    • General Financial Planning Office
    • Infrastructure Department
    • Central Surveillance, Prevention, and Protection Service Coordination Direction
    • Army Unified Salary Center in Rome (Lazio)
    • Army Selection and National Recruitment Center in Foligno (Umbria)
    • Military Penitentiary Organization in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (Campania)
    • Army Olympic Sport Center in Rome (Lazio)
    • Central Logistic Group in Rome (Lazio)
      • Command Battalion in Rome (Lazio) providing security and support to the Army General Staff
      • 11th Transport Regiment "Flaminia" in Rome (Lazio) providing transport for the Defense General Staff

NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy

The NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy (NRDC-IT) is a multi-national, deployable Corps headquarters assigned to NATO. It is located in Solbiate Olona and has a support brigade at its dependency.

  • NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy in Solbiate Olona (Lombardy)
    • NRDC-IT Support Brigade in Solbiate Olona (Lombardy)
      • 1st Signal Regiment in Milan (Lombardy)
        • Battalion "Spluga"
        • Battalion "Sempione"
      • Tactical and Logistic Support Regiment in Solbiate Olona (Lombardy)

Operational Terrestrial Forces Command - Army Operational Command

The Operational Terrestrial Forces Command - Army Operational Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri - Comando Operativo Esercito, abbreviation: COMFOTER COE) is the operational command of the army. The command is headquartered in Rome. In case of war it would command the army's brigades.

Army Special Forces Command

The Army Special Forces Command (Comando delle Forze Speciali dell'Esercito (COMFOSE)) in Pisa commands the army's special operation forces:

Army Aviation Command

The Army Aviation Command in Viterbo trains and maintains the army's non-combat flying formations, and provides four operational helicopters regiment to COMFOTER COE.

  • Army Aviation Command in Viterbo (Lazio)
    • Army Aviation Instruction Center in Viterbo (Lazio)
      • 1st Squadron Group "Auriga" in Viterbo (Lazio)
      • 1st Squadron Group "Sestante" in Viterbo (Lazio)
Army Aviation Brigade
Army Aviation Support Command

Army Aviation support regiments provide maintenance services and logistic support to the army's fleet of helicopters and airplanes.

Alpine Troops Command

Alpini from the Taurinense Brigade.

The Alpine Troops Command (Italian: Comando Truppe Alpine, abbreviation: COMTA) commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army, called Alpini (English: Alpines). The command is headquartered in Bolzano.

Division Tridentina

The Division Tridentina is a deployable division headquarters within COMTA in Bolzano.

  • Division "Tridentina" in Bolzano (South Tyrol)
    • Command and Tactical Support Battalion "Tridentina" in Bolzano (South Tyrol)

Alpine Brigade Taurinense

Alpine Brigade Julia

Alpine Training Center

The Alpine Training Center trains Italian troops in mountain warfare and winter warfare and its 6th Alpini Regiment prepares and manages the army's military exercises in the Puster Valley.

Territorial Areas

The COMALP also controls five administrative Army Military Commands tasked with public duties, recruitment, administration of the reserves, public information, and promotional activities. The Army Military Command "Trentino-Alto Adige" covering the Trentino-Alto Adige/SouthTyrol region is an integral part of COMALP:

Operational Forces Command North

An NH90 Helicopter of the Italian Army

The Operational Forces Command North (Italian: Comando Forze Operative Nord, abbreviation: COMFOP Nord) commands the brigades in the North of Italy. The command is headquartered in Padua and successor to the army's V Army Corps.

Division Friuli

The Division "Friuli" is a deployable division command headquartered in Florence.

  • Division "Friuli" in Florence (Tuscany)
    • Command and Tactical Support Regiment "Friuli" in Florence (Tuscany)
Airmobile Brigade Friuli
  • Airmobile Brigade "Friuli" in Bologna (Emilia-Romagna)
    • Command and Tactical Support Battalion "Friuli" in Bologna (Emilia-Romagna)
    • 66th Airmobile Infantry Regiment "Trieste" in Forlì (Emilia-Romagna) with VTLM Lince vehicles
    • 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel" in Casarsa (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
      • 27th Squadron Group "Mercurio" with two NH90 transport helicopter squadrons and one A109A EOA reconnaissance helicopter squadron
      • 49th Squadron Group "Capricorno" with three A129D Attack Helicopter squadrons
      • Flight Support Group "Lupo"
    • 7th Army Aviation Regiment "Vega" in Rimini (Emilia-Romagna)
      • 25th Squadron Group "Cigno" with three NH90 transport helicopter squadrons
      • 48th Squadron Group "Pavone" with three A129D attack helicopter squadrons
      • Flight Support Group
Cavalry Brigade Pozzuolo del Friuli
132nd Armored Brigade Ariete
Paratroopers Brigade Folgore

Territorial Areas

The COMFOP Nord also controls eight administrative Army Military Commands tasked with public duties, recruitment, administration of the reserves, public information, and promotional activities. The Army Military Command "Veneto" covering the Veneto region is an integral part of COMFOP Nord:

Operational Forces Command South

The Operational Forces Command South (Italian: Comando Forze Operative Sud, abbreviation: COMFOP Sud) commands the brigades in the South of Italy. The command is headquartered in Naples.

Division Acqui

Soldiers of the 6th Cavalry Regiment “Lancieri di Aosta”
Soldiers of the Sassari Brigade

The Division Acqui is a deployable division headquartered in San Giorgio a Cremano near Naples.

Mechanized Brigade Granatieri di Sardegna
  • Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" Rome (Lazio)
    • Command and Tactical Support Battalion "Granatieri di Sardegna" in Rome (Lazio)
    • 8th Cavalry Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" in Rome (Lazio)
      • Armored Squadron Group (Battalion) with Centauro tank destroyers
      • Horse Squadron Group (Battalion) tasked with public duties in Rome
    • 1st Granatieri di Sardegna Regiment in Rome (Lazio) with Dardo infantry fighting vehicles
      • 1st Battalion "Assietta" in Rome (Lazio) (3x mechanized grenadier, 1x manoeuver support, and honor guard company)
    • 2nd Grenadier Battalion "Cengio" in Spoleto (Lazio) (1x staff and support, and 2x mechanized grenadier companies)
Mechanized Brigade Aosta
Mechanized Brigade Pinerolo
Mechanized Brigade Sassari
Bersaglieri Brigade Garibaldi

Territorial Areas

The COMFOP Sud also controls six administrative Army Military Commands tasked with public duties, recruitment, administration of the reserves, public information, and promotional activities. The Army Military Command "Campania" covering the Campania region is an integral part of COMFOP Sud:

Operational Terrestrial Support Forces Command

The Operational Terrestrial Support Forces Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto, abbreviation: COMFOTER SUPPORT) in Verona commands the army's operational support units.

Artillery Command

The Artillery Command in Bracciano commands the specialized artillery regiments of the army and trains all officers and troops destined for artillery units:

Air-defense Artillery Command

The Air Defense Artillery Command in Sabaudia commands the army's air defense artillery regiments and trains all officers and troops destined for air defense artillery units:

  • Air-defense Artillery Command in Sabaudia (Lazio)
    • Air-defense Artillery School/Training Regiment in Sabaudia (Lazio)
    • 4th Air-defense Artillery Regiment "Peschiera" in Mantua and Cremona (Lombardy) with 4x SAMP/T batteries
    • 17th Air-defense Artillery Regiment "Sforzesca" in Sabaudia (Lazio)
    • 121st Air-defense Artillery Regiment "Ravenna" in Bologna and Rimini (Emilia-Romagna) with 4x Stinger batteries

Engineer Command

The Engineer Command in Rome-Cecchignola commands the specialized engineer regiments of the army and trains all officers and troops destined for engineer units:

  • Engineer Command in Cecchignola (Lazio)
    • Engineer School/Training Regiment in Cecchignola (Lazio)
    • 2nd Bridge Engineer Regiment in Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna)
    • 6th Pioneer Engineer Regiment in Cecchignola (Lazio)
    • Railway Engineer Regiment in Castel Maggiore (Emilia-Romagna) with two battalions
    • Multinational CIMIC Group in Motta di Livenza (Veneto), multi-national NATO CIMIC unit with troops from Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Romania
    • Counter-IED Center of Excellence in Cecchignola (Lazio)

Signal Command

The Signal Command in Anzio commands the army's signal regiments and trains all officers and troops destined for signal units:

  • Signal Command in Anzio (Lazio)
    • Signal and Information School/Training Regiment in Rome-Cecchignola (Lazio)
    • Deployable regiments:
      • 2nd Alpine Signal Regiment (Alpini) in Bolzano (South Tyrol) with the battalions:
      • 7th Signal Regiment in Sacile (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) with the battalions:
        • "Rolle"
        • "Predil"
      • 11th Signal Regiment in Civitavecchia (Lazio) with the battalions:
        • "Leonessa"
        • "Tonale"
      • 232nd Signal Regiment in Avellino (Campania) with the battalions:
        • "Fadalto"
        • "Legnano"
    • National support regiments:
      • 3rd Signal Regiment in Rome (Lazio) with the battalions:
        • "Lanciano" in Rome (Lazio)
        • "Abetone" in Florence (Tuscany)
        • "Gennargentu" in Cagliari (Sardinia)
      • 32nd Signal Regiment in Padua (Veneto) with the battalions:
        • "Valles" in Padua (Veneto)
        • "Frejus" in Turin (Piedmont)
      • 46th Signal Regiment in Palermo (Sicily) with the battalions:

RISTA-EW Brigade

The RISTA-EW Brigade in Anzio is the army's sole Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) & Electronic Warfare (EW) unit.

Logistic Support Command

The Logistic Support Command in Rome trains officers and troops destined for logistic units and provides operational logistic support with two specialized logistic regiments and four medical battalions.

  • Logistic Support Command in Rome (Lazio)
    • Transport and Materiel School/Training Regiment in Rome (Lazio)
    • Transit Management Regiment in Bellinzago Novarese (Lombardy) tasked with managing the deployment of forces for out-of-area operations with four battalions: one logistic, and one transit management battalion in Bellinzago Novarese and one logistic, and one transit management battalion in Bari
    • 6th General Logistic Support Regiment in Budrio (Emilia-Romagna) with one transport, and one movement control battalion
    • 1st Medical Battalion "Torino" in Turin (Piedmont)
    • 3rd Medical Battalion "Milano" in Bellinzago Novarese (Lombardy)
    • 4th Medical Battalion "Bolzano" in Merano (South Tyrol)
    • 10th Medical Battalion "Napoli" in Persano (Campania)

Capital Military Command

The Capital Military Command (Italian: Comando Militare della Capitale) in Rome is tasked with managing army events in Rome and oversees the administrative "Lazio" Army Military Command tasked with public duties, recruitment, administration of the reserves, public information, and promotional activities in the Lazio region. Additionally the command manages the army's Monte Romano training range, the army's museums in Rome and the army band, as well as the Italian military's Geographic Institute.

  • Capital Military Command in Rome (Lazio)
    • Military Geography Institute in Florence, (Tuscany)
    • Italian Army Band Rome (Lazio)
    • Infantry History Museum in Rome (Lazio)
    • Bersaglieri History Museum in Rome (Lazio)
    • Logistic Support Battalion "Monte Romano" in Monte Romano (Lazio)

Army Logistic Command

The Army Logistic Command (Italian: Comando Logistico dell'Esercito, abbreviation: COMLOG) in Rome manages the entire logistics of the Army.

  • Army Logistic Command in Rome (Lazio)
    • 44th Signal Support Regiment in Rome (Lazio)
      • Signal Battalion "Penne"
    • 184th Signal Support Regiment in Treviso (Veneto)
      • Signal Battalion "Cansiglio"
    • 8th Transport Regiment "Casilina" in Rome (Lazio), providing transport for the Army General Staff
    • K9 Battalion (Military Working Dogs) in Grosseto (Tuscany)
    • Heavy Maintenance Center North (POLMANT NORD) in Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna)
    • Heavy Maintenance Center South (POLMANT SUD) in Nola (Campania)
    • Light Weapons Maintenance Center (PMAL) in Terni (Umbria)
    • Telecommunications, Electronics and Optoelectronics Equipment Maintenance Center (POLMANTEO) in Rome (Lazio)

Army Formation, Specialization and Doctrine Command

The Army Formation, Specialization and Doctrine Command (Italian: Comando per la Formazione, Specializzazione e Dottrina dell'Esercito, abbreviation: COMFORDOT) in Rome trains the army's troops and develops the army's doctrine and education policies.

  • Army Formation, Specialization and Doctrine Command in Rome (Lazio)
    • Army Simulation and Validation Center in Civitavecchia (Lazio) (Staff College)
    • Formation Command and Application School in Turin (Piedmont) (Military University)
    • Infantry School in Cesano (Lazio)
      • Training Regiment in Cesano (Lazio) training non-commissioned officers of the Infantry Corps
        • Training Battalion "M.O. Vannucci"
        • Training Battalion "M.O. Fasil"
        • Logistic Battalion "M.O. Mattei"
      • Volunteer Training Center in Capua (Campania) trains the army's volunteer troops
        • 17th Volunteer Training Regiment "Acqui" in Capua (Campania)
          • 1st Training Battalion
          • 2nd Training Battalion
        • 85th Volunteer Training Regiment "Verona" in Verona (Veneto)
          • 1st Training Battalion
        • 235th Volunteer Training Regiment "Piceno" in Ascoli Piceno (Marche) (training female recruits)
          • 1st Training Battalion
    • Cavalry School in Lecce (Apulia)
    • Medical and Veterinary School in Rome-Cecchignola (Lazio)
      • Training Battalion in Rome-Cecchignola (Lazio) training members of the Medical Corps and the Veterinary Corps
    • Commissary School in Maddaloni (Campania)
      • Training Battalion in Maddaloni (Campania) training members of the Commissary Corps
      • Mobile Field Equipment Battalion in Maddaloni (Campania)
    • Military CBRN-Defense School in Rieti (Lazio)
    • Support Regiment "Cecchignola" in Cecchignola (Lazio) supporting the commands, schools and units based at the Cecchignola military base

Army Structure - Visual overview

Structure of the Italian Army after the 2016 reform (click to enlarge).

Army Geographical Distribution

1 Cavalry
32 Arm.
132 Arm.
132 Art.
10 Eng.
187 Para.
185 Artillery
185° RAO
183 Para.
186 Para.
121 AirDef
Railway Eng.
3 Cavalry
66 Infantry
11 Bers.
5 Av.
5 Cav.
5 Art.
7 Aviation
2 Cavalry
4 Cav.
Horse Artillery
3 Eng.
8 Alpini
131 Armored
8 Artillery
1 Bersaglieri
8 Bersaglieri
21 Engineer
3 Bersaglieri
19 Cavalry
151 Infantry
152 Infantry
5 Engineer
5 Infantry
24 Artillery
6 Cavalry
6 Bersaglieri
62 Infantry
4 Engineer
1 Granatieri
6 Pioneers
8 Cavalry
7 Bersaglieri
9 Infantry
82 Infantry
21 Artillery
11 Engineer
1 Aviation
3 Aviation
2 Aviation
4 Aviation
7 NBC Def
28 PsyOps
4 AirDef
17 AirDef
2 Bridge Eng.
Unit Locations (Signal and Logistic units not included)

References

  1. ↑ http://www.esercito.difesa.it/root/unita_sez/unita_unita.asp

See also

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