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Military of Italy

Italian Armed Forces
Forze armate italiane (FF.AA.)
Stemma araldico e distintivo dello Stato Maggiore Difesa.svg
Coat of Arms of the Italian Defence Staff
Founded 4 May 1861
Service branches Esercito Italiano (Army)
Marina Militare (Navy)
Aeronautica Militare (Air Force)
Carabinieri (Gendarmerie)
Headquarters Rome
Leadership
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella
Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni
Minister of Defence Roberta Pinotti
Chief of the Defence Staff General Claudio Graziano
Manpower
Active personnel

347,927 (2017)

Reserve personnel 41,867 (2017)
Expenditures
Budget US$37.7 billion (2017)
Percent of GDP 1.27% (2017)
Industry
Domestic suppliers Avio
Beretta
Breda
CNH Industrial
Fincantieri
Fiocchi Munizioni
Intermarine
Leonardo-Finmeccanica
Piaggio Aerospace
Foreign suppliers  European Union
 United States
Annual imports €2,202m (2017)
Annual exports €3,060m (2017)
Related articles
History Military history of Italy
Regio Esercito
Regia Marina
Regia Aeronautica
Ranks Italian Army ranks
Italian Navy ranks
Italian Air Force ranks

347,927 (2017)

The Italian Armed Forces (italian: Forze armate italiane) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and are also involved in missions and operations abroad as a combat force. Despite not being a branch of the armed forces, the Guardia di Finanza is part of the military and operates a large fleet of ships, aircraft and helicopters, enabling it to patrol Italy's waters and to eventually participate in warfare scenarios. These five forces have military status and are all organized along military lines, comprising a total of 350,000 men and women with the official status of active military personnel. The President of the Italian Republic heads the armed forces as the President of the High Council of Defence established by article 87 of the Constitution of Italy. According to article 78, the Parliament has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the necessary powers in the Government.

The ground force of Italy, the Regio Esercito dates back to the unification of Italy in the 1850s and 1860s. It fought in colonial engagements in China during the Boxer Rebellion, against the Ottoman Empire in Libya (1911-1912), on the Alps against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I, in Abyssinia during the Interwar period, and in World War II in Albania, Greece, North Africa and Russia, as well as in the Italian Civil War. During the Cold War the Army prepared itself to defend against a Warsaw Pact invasion from the east. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it has seen extensive peacekeeping service in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. On 29 July 2004 it became a professional all-volunteer force when conscription was finally ended.


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