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 active units as of 1 July 2019. 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 Staffedit
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 Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff.
Army General Staffedit
The Army General Staff in Rome is tasked with the study, research, development and general policy of the army. It is headed by the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff.
Chief of the Army General Staff, in Rome (Lazio)[2][3]
The Operational Land Forces Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri, abbreviation: COMFOTER) is the continuously operational command of the army. The command is headquartered in Rome. In case of war, outside of NATO's command structure, it would command the army's units.[5]
On 1 July 2023 the Capital Military Command (Italian: Comando Militare della Capitale) in Rome was merged into COMFOTER, which thus became responsible for managing army events in Rome and its metro area, and for overseeing the administrative Army Military Commands tasked with public duties in, recruitment, administration of the reserves, public information, and promotional activities in the Lazio, Tuscany, and Sardinia regions. Additionally COMFOTER became responsible for the army's Monte Romano training range, the army museums in Rome, the military penitentiary organization, the army band, as well as the Italian military's Geographic Institute in Florence. The Army Military Command "Lazio" covering the Lazio region became an integral part of COMFOTER, while the Army Military Command "Toscana" covering the Tuscany region remained an integral part of the Military Geographical Institute. Before the merger the Central Logistic Grouping supporting the general staff in Rome was transferred from the Capital Military Command to the General Staff.[6][7][8][4]
Special Operations Training Center, at Camp Darby[9]
1st Basic Training Company
2nd Advanced Training Company
Army Aviation Commandedit
The Army Aviation Command at Viterbo Airport trains and maintains the army's non-combat flying formations, and provides four operational helicopter regiments to COMFOTER.[10]
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.
Alpine Training Center - Sport Department, in Courmayeur (Aosta)
Territorial Areasedit
The COMTA also controls four 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:
The Northern Operational Forces Command (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.[16]
Northern Operational Forces Command, in Padua (Veneto)
Training Battalion "Poggio Rusco", in Pisa (Tuscany)
Aviation Supply Battalion, in Pisa (Tuscany)
Territorial Areasedit
The COMFOP Nord 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 "Veneto" covering the Veneto region is an integral part of COMFOP Nord:
Army Military Command "Abruzzo e Molise" , in L'Aquila, covering the Abruzzo and Molise regions
The Southern Operational Forces Command (Italian: Comando Forze Operative Sud, abbreviation: COMFOP Sud) commands the brigades in the South of Italy and on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The command is headquartered in Naples.[17]
Southern Operational Forces Command, in Naples (Campania)
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:
The Artillery Command in Bracciano commands the specialized artillery regiments of the army and trains all officers and troops destined for artillery units:
The Anti-aircraft Artillery Command in Sabaudia commands the army's air defense units and trains all officers and troops destined for air defense units:
Anti-aircraft Artillery Command, in Sabaudia (Lazio)
Counter-Mini/Micro-UAV Center of Excellence, in Sabaudia (Lazio)
Training Group, in Sabaudia (Lazio)
Command and Logistic Support Battery
Fire Control and Support Battery
Training Battery
Engineer Commandedit
The Engineer Command in Rome-Cecchignola commands the specialized engineer regiments of the army and trains all officers and troops destined for engineer units:
Military Working Dogs Group, in Grosseto (Tuscany)
Area Support Veterinary Unit, in Padua (Veneto)
Area Support Veterinary Unit, in Naples (Campania)
Logistic Support Commandedit
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.
Each medical unit fields one command and logistic support company, one medical company with a field hospital, and one medical evacuations company.
Training, Specialization and Doctrine Commandedit
The Training, 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.[20]
Training, Specialization and Doctrine Command, in Rome (Lazio)
Army Training Command and Application School, in Turin (Piedmont) (Military University)
^"Le Forze Operative Terrestri". Archived from the original on 2011-05-20.
^"General Staff of the Army". Italian Army. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^"Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito". Italian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^ ab"Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito". Italian Army. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
^"Operational Land Forces Command". Italian Army. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
^"Comando Militare della Capitale". Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
^"Comando Operativo delle Forze Terrestri". Italian Army. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
^"Cambio al vertice del COMFOTER". Italian Army. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
^ abcdefgScarpitta, Alberto. "Il potenziamento del Comando Forze Speciali dell'Esercito". Analisi Difesa. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
^ abcde"Comando Aviazione dell'Esercito - La Struttura ordinativa". Italian Army. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
^ abcdef"L'Aviazione dell'Esercito di Viterbo impiegata per le operazioni di soccorso su tutto il territorio nazionale". Esercito Italiano. Italian Army. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
^Meschino, Marco. "Intervista al nuovo Comandante del ricostituito 51° Gruppo Squadroni "Leone"". Sea, Air, Land. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
^"Altri 15 AW-169M per l'Esercito Italiano". RID - Portale Difesa. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
^"Programma Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) Esercito Italiano - acquisizione elicotteri AW-169 in configurazione Multiruolo Avanzato" (PDF). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
^ abcde"Obice da 155/39 FH-70". Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
^"Northern Operational Forces Command". Italian Army. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^"Southern Operational Forces Command". Italian Army. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^"Qualificati i primi operatori di Blindo Centauro II". Italian Army. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
^"Operational Land Forces Support Command". Italian Army. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^"Training, Specialization and Doctrine Command". Italian Army. Retrieved 8 July 2019.