Editing Italian Armed Forces

{{short description|Combined military forces of Italy}}
{{Infobox national military
| name               = Italian Armed Forces
| native_name        = {{lang|it|Forze Armate Italiane (FF.AA.)}}
| image              = Stemma araldico e distintivo dello Stato Maggiore Difesa.svg
| image_size         = 150px
| caption            = Coat of arms of the Italian Defence Staff
| image2             =
| alt2               = 
| caption2           =
| motto              =
| founded            = 4 May 1861<br />({{Age in years and months|1861|5|4}})
| current_form       =
| disbanded          =
| branches           = {{tree list}}
*[[File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Esercito_Italiano.svg|30px]] [[Italian Army]]
*[[File:Coat of arms of Marina Militare.svg|30px]] [[Italian Navy]]
*[[File:Coat of arms of the Italian Air Force.svg|30px]] [[Italian Air Force]]
*[[File:Coat of arms of the Carabinieri.svg|30px]] [[Carabinieri]]
{{tree list/end}}
| headquarters       = [[Rome]]<ref name="Budget2014">{{cite web|title=Documento Programmatico Pluriennale per la Difesa per il triennio 2014-16 |url=http://www.difesa.it/Content/Documents/nota_aggiuntiva/01_DPP_2014_2016.pdf |publisher=Italian Ministry of Defence | date=13 June 2014 |access-date=8 January 2015 | language = it}}</ref>
| flying_hours       =
| website            = <!--{{URL|example.mil}}-->
<!-- Leadership -->
| commander-in-chief = {{flagicon image|Flag of the President of Italy.svg|size=25px}} [[Sergio Mattarella]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[President of Italy]]
| chief minister     = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Prime Minister of Italy.svg|size=25px}} [[Giorgia Meloni]] 
| chief minister_title = [[Prime Minister of Italy|Prime Minister]]
| minister           = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Italian Defence minister.svg|size=25px}} [[Guido Crosetto]]
| minister_title     = [[Italian Minister of Defence|Minister of Defence]]
| commander          = {{flagicon image|Flag of the chief of staff of defence of Italy.svg|size=25px}} General [[Luciano Portolano]]
| commander_title    = [[Chief of the Defence Staff (Italy)|Chief of the Defence Staff]]
<!-- Manpower -->
| age                =
| conscription       =
| manpower_data      =
| manpower_age       =
| available          =
| available_f        =
| fit                =
| fit_f              =
| reaching           =
| reaching_f         = 
| active             = 165,500{{sfn|IISS|2021|p=116}}
| ranked             =  
| reserve            = 18,300{{sfn|IISS|2021|p=116}}
| deployed           =
<!-- Financial -->
| amount             = {{€|31.3 billion|link=yes}} (2025)<br>~[[$]]33,8 billion([[List of countries by military expenditures|ranked 12th]])<ref name="Budget2025">{{cite web |date=2024-10-30 |title=Esplosione per le spese militari italiane: nel 2025 a 32 miliardi (di cui 13 per nuove armi)|url=https://www.milex.org/2024/10/30/esplosione-per-le-spese-militari-italiane-nel-2025-a-32-miliardi-di-cui-13-per-nuove-armi/ |access-date=2025-03-06|publisher=milex.org|language=it}}</ref>
| percent_GDP        = 1.5% (2024)<ref name="BIP2024">{{cite web |date=2024-11-29 |title=La spesa italiana per la difesa: quanto lontani siamo dal requisito del 2% del Pil |url=https://osservatoriocpi.unicatt.it/ocpi-pubblicazioni-la-spesa-italiana-per-la-difesa-quanto-lontani-siamo-dal-requisito-del-2-del-pil  |access-date=2025-03-06 |publisher=osservatoriocpi.unicatt.it|language=it}}</ref>
<!-- Industrial -->
| domestic_suppliers = [[Avio]]<br/>[[Beretta]]<br/>[[Fincantieri]]<br/>[[Fiocchi Munizioni]]<br/>[[Intermarine]]<br/>[[Iveco]]<br/>[[Leonardo S.p.A.|Leonardo]]<br/>[[Piaggio Aerospace]]
| foreign_suppliers  = {{flag|United States}}<br>{{flag|Germany}}<br>{{flag|Israel}}<br>{{flag|France}}<br>{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br>{{flag|Canada}}
| imports            = {{Currency|326 million|USD|passthrough=yes|linked=no}} (2014–2022)<ref name="SIPRI_India"/>
| exports            = {{Currency|886 million|USD|passthrough=yes|linked=no}} (2014–2022)<ref name="SIPRI_India">{{cite web|url=https://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/values.php|title=TIV of arms imports/exports data for India, 2014-2022|date=30 January 2024|work=[[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]]}}</ref>  
<!-- Related articles -->
| history            = [[Military history of Italy]]<br/>[[:Category:Wars involving Italy|Warfare directory of Italy]]<br>[[List of wars involving Italy|Wars involving Italy]]<br>[[:Category:Battles involving Italy|Battles involving Italy]]
| ranks              = [[Italian Army ranks|Army ranks]]<br/>[[Italian Navy ranks|Navy ranks]]<br/>[[Italian Air Force ranks|Air Force ranks]]<br/>[[Rank insignia of the Carabinieri|Carabinieri Ranks]]
}}

The '''Italian Armed Forces''' ({{langx|it|Forze armate italiane}}, {{IPA|it|ˈfɔrtse arˈmaːte itaˈljaːne|pron}}) encompass the [[Italian Army]], the [[Italian Navy]] and the [[Italian Air Force]]. A fourth [[Military branch|branch]] of the armed forces, known as the [[Carabinieri]], take on the role as the nation's [[Gendarmerie|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]] and [[Polizia di Stato]] is organized along military lines.<ref>The ''Guardia di Finanza'' also operates a large fleet of ships, aircraft and helicopters, enabling it to patrol Italy's waters and to eventually participate in military scenarios</ref> 

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.<ref name="Budget2014"/><ref name=IT>{{cite web | url=https://www.difesa.it/Content/Documents/20210804%20DPP%202021-2023%20-ult.pdf |title=Documento programmatico pluriennale per la Difesa per il triennio 2021-2023 - Doc. CCXXXIV, n. 4. |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (Italy)]] |date=2021 |access-date=6 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=koG-2k__pIcC&q=Guardia+di+finanza%2C+military&pg=PA70|title=Armed Forces in Law Enforcement Operations? - The German and European Perspective|first=Kim Eduard|last=Lioe|date=25 November 2010|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9783642154348|access-date=28 March 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hYiIWVlpFzEC&q=Guardi+di+finanz+status+of+troops&pg=PA560|title=Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law - 2010|first1=M. N.|last1=Schmitt|first2=Louise|last2=Arimatsu|first3=Tim|last3=McCormack|date=5 August 2011|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9789067048118|access-date=28 March 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> The [[President of Italy]] heads the armed forces as the President of the [[High Council of Defence (Italy)|High Council of Defence]] established by article 87 of the [[Constitution of Italy]]. According to article 78, the [[Italian Parliament|Parliament]] has the authority to declare a state of war and vest the powers to lead the war in the [[Italian government|Government]].

==History==
{{Main|Military history of Italy}}
{{See also|List of wars involving Italy}}
[[File:Partenza da Quarto.jpg|thumb|left|[[Giuseppe Garibaldi]] leading the [[Expedition of the Thousand]] (1860–1861)]]
[[File:Trento 3 novembre 1918.jpg|thumb|left|Italian cavalry in [[Trento]] on 3 November 1918, after the victorious [[Battle of Vittorio Veneto]]. The Italian victory in this battle<ref name="victory">{{cite book |last=Burgwyn |first=H. James |title=Italian foreign policy in the interwar period, 1918–1940 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=1997 |page=4 |isbn=0-275-94877-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Schindler |first=John R. |title=Isonzo: The Forgotten Sacrifice of the Great War |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2001 |page=303 |isbn=0-275-97204-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mack Smith |first=Denis |title=Mussolini |publisher=Knopf |year=1982 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mussolini0000mack/page/31 31] |isbn=0-394-50694-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/mussolini0000mack/page/31 }}</ref> marked the [[Armistice of Villa Giusti|end of the war on the Italian Front]], secured the dissolution of the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] and contributed to the [[Armistice with Germany|end of World War I]] just one week later.<ref name=Luden>{{cite book |quote=...&nbsp;[[Erich Ludendorff|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.'' |last=Paoletti |first=Ciro |title=A Military History of Italy |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2008 |page=150 |isbn=978-0-275-98505-9}}</ref>]]

The [[military history of Italy]] chronicles a vast time period, lasting from the military conflicts fought by the [[ancient peoples of Italy]], most notably the conquest of the Mediterranean world by the [[ancient Romans]], through the expansion of the Italian [[Italian city-states|city-states]] and [[maritime republics]] during the [[medieval period]] and the involvement of the [[List of historical states of Italy|historical Italian states]] in the [[Italian Wars]] and the [[wars of succession]], to the [[Napoleonic period]], the [[Italian unification]], the campaigns of the [[Italian Empire|colonial empire]], the two [[world wars]], and into the modern day, with world [[peacekeeping]] operations under the aegis of [[NATO]], the [[EU]] or the [[UN]]. The [[Italian Peninsula]] has been a centre of military conflict throughout [[History of Europe|European history]] due to its geostrategic position: because of this, [[Italy]] has a long military tradition.

The [[Risorgimento]] movement emerged to unite Italy in the 19th century. The [[Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia]] took the lead in a series of wars to liberate Italy from foreign control. Following three [[Wars of Italian Independence]] against the Habsburg Austrians in the north, the [[Expedition of the Thousand]] against the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies in the south, and the [[Capture of Rome]], the unification of the country was completed in 1871 when Rome was declared capital of Italy.
[[File:Flag of the President of Italy.svg|thumb|The [[presidential standard of Italy]]. The square shape and the [[savoy blue]] border symbolize the four Italian Armed Forces, which are commanded by the [[President of Italy]].<ref name="quirinale"/> Blue in [[heraldry]] also metaphorically symbolizes command.<ref name="heraldry"/>]]

The [[presidential standard of Italy]] ({{langx|it|Stendardo presidenziale italiano}}) is the distinctive standard of the presence of the [[President of Italy]]. The presidential standard is one of the [[National symbols of Italy]]. The standard recalls the colors of the [[flag of Italy]], with particular reference to the standard of the historic [[Italian Republic (Napoleonic)|Italian Republic of 1802–1805]]; the square shape and the [[savoy 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.<ref name="quirinale">{{cite web|url=http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/simboli/stendardo/stendardo.html |title=Lo Stendardo presidenziale |language=Italian |access-date=22 September 2010}}</ref> Blue in [[heraldry]] also metaphorically symbolizes command.<ref name="heraldry">{{cite web|url=https://www.aserramanna.it/2012/07/azzurri-origine-del-colore-della-nazionale/|title=Azzurri – origine del colore della nazionale|access-date=13 January 2025|language=it}}</ref>

==Organization==
The office of the Chief of Defence is organised as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.difesa.it/SMD_/Pagine/Organigramma.aspx|title=Organigramma|website=www.difesa.it|access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Italian Defence organisation chart.jpg]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 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]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.difesa.it/smd/staff/sottocapo/index/26377.html|website=www.difesa.it|access-date=25 April 2025 |title=Sottocapo di Stato Maggiore della Difesa }}</ref>
|-
| Chief of Joint Operations || Il Comandante del [[Comando Operativo di Vertice Interforze]] || Generale di corpo d'armata con incarichi speciali || [[Francesco Paolo Figliuolo]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.difesa.it/SMD_/COI/Pagine/IlComandante.aspx|title=Il Comandante del Comando Operativo di Vertice Interforze|website=www.difesa.it|access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

|}

==The four branches of Italian Armed Forces==

===Italian Army===
{{Main article|Italian Army}}
[[File:Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE (22804826445).jpg|thumb|[[Lagunari]] reconnaissance member in a security patrol]]
[[File:Italian Army - 8th Alpini Regiment sniper team during exercise Abbey Road 2019.jpg|thumb|[[8th Alpini Regiment]] snipers in winter ghillie suits]]

The [[Italian Army]] ({{Langx|it|Esercito Italiano}}; abbreviated as  '''EI''') is the [[Army|land force]] branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the [[Italian unification]] in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and [[Italo-Turkish War|Libya]]. It fought in [[Northern Italy]] against the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] during [[World War I]], Abyssinia before World War II and in World War II in Albania, Balkans, North Africa, the Soviet Union, and Italy itself. During the [[Cold War]], the army prepared itself to defend against a [[Warsaw Pact]] invasion from the east. 

Since the end of the Cold War, the army has seen extensive peacekeeping service and combat in [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq]]. Its best-known [[combat vehicle]]s are the [[Dardo IFV|Dardo]] [[infantry fighting vehicle]], the [[Centauro (Tank destroyer)|Centauro]] [[tank destroyer]] and the [[Ariete]] [[tank]] and among its aircraft the [[Agusta A129 Mangusta|Mangusta]] [[attack helicopter]], recently deployed in UN missions. The headquarters of the Army General Staff are located in [[Rome]] opposite the [[Quirinal Palace]], where the [[president of Italy]] resides. The army is an all-volunteer force of [[active duty|active-duty]] personnel.

The Italian Army originated as the [[Royal Italian Army|Royal Army]] (''[[Regio Esercito]]''), which dates from the [[proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy]] following the seizure of the [[Papal States]] and the unification of Italy (''[[Risorgimento]]''). In 1861, under the leadership of [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]], [[Victor Emmanuel II of Italy|Victor Emmanuel II]] of the [[House 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 the [[South Tyrol|province of Bolzano/Bozen]] (1967), in [[Sardinia]] ("Forza Paris" 1992), in [[Sicily]] ("Vespri Siciliani" 1992) and in [[Calabria]] (1994). Currently, it protects sensitive objectives and places throughout the national territory ("Operazione Domino") since the [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States. 

The army is also engaged in Missions abroad under the aegis of the [[UN]], the [[NATO]], and of Multinational forces, such as [[Beirut]] in [[Lebanon]] (1982), [[Namibia]] (1989), [[Albania]] (1991), [[Kurdistan]] (1991), [[Somalia]] (1992), [[Mozambique]] (1993), [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]] (1995), [[East Timor]] and [[Kosovo]] (both in 1999), the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (2001), [[Darfur]] (2003), [[Afghanistan]] (2002), [[Iraq]] (2003) and Lebanon again (2006).

===Italian Navy===
{{Main article|Italian Navy}}
[[File:Cavour (550).jpg|thumb|Aircraft carrier [[Italian aircraft carrier Cavour (550)|''MM Cavour'']], the [[flagship]] of the [[Italian Navy]]]]
[[File:Naval Ensign of Italy.svg|thumb|Naval ensign of Italy]]

The [[Italian Navy]] ({{langx|it|Marina Militare||Military Navy}}; abbreviated as '''MM''') is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. {{As of|2014|08}}, 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 a [[blue-water navy]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=he5KL_tWQvMC|title=Navies and Shipbuilding Industries: The Strained Symbiosis|first1=Daniel|last1=Todd|first2=Michael|last2=Lindberg|date=May 14, 1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780275953102|access-date=May 14, 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Till|first1=Geoffrey|title=Seapower: A Guide for the Twenty-First Century|date=2 Aug 2004|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=9781135756789|pages=113–120|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CNgIbiDghI4C&q=Seapower%3A%20A%20Guide%20for%20the%20Twenty-First%20Century%202004|access-date=15 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=Coffey>{{cite book|last1=Coffey|first1=Joseph I.|title=The Atlantic Alliance and the Middle East|date=1989|publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press|location=United States|isbn=9780822911548|page=89|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RmttAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Atlantic+Alliance+and+the+Middle+East|access-date=30 November 2015}}</ref>

The navy of Italy was created in 1861, following the [[proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy]]. The new navy's baptism of fire came during the [[Third Italian War of Independence]] against the [[Austrian Empire]]. During the [[First World War]], it spent its major efforts in the [[Adriatic Sea]], fighting the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]]. In the [[Second World War]], it engaged the [[Royal Navy]] in a two-and-a-half-year struggle for the control of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. After the war, the new ''Marina Militare'', being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), has taken part in many coalition peacekeeping operations. It is a [[blue-water navy]]. The ''[[Guardia 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 light [[aircraft carrier]]s, 4 [[amphibious assault ship]]s, 3 [[destroyer]]s, 11 [[frigate]]s and 8 [[attack submarine]]s. Patrol and littoral warfare units include: 10 [[patrol boat|offshore patrol vessels]], 10 [[mine countermeasure vessel]]s, 4 coastal [[patrol boat]]s, and a varied fleet of [[auxiliary ship]]s are also in service.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marina.difesa.it/EN/thefleet/Pagine/default.aspx |title=The Fleet – Marina Militare|website=marina.difesa.it|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> The flagship of the fleet is the [[Italian aircraft carrier Cavour|carrier ''Cavour'']].

The [[Ensign (flag)|ensign]] of the Italian Navy is the [[flag of Italy]] bearing the coat of arms of the Italian Navy. The shield's quarters refer to the four Medieval Italian [[Maritime Republics]]:

* 1st quarter: on red, a golden winged lion (the [[lion of St. Mark]]) wielding a sword ([[Republic of Venice]])
* 2nd quarter: on white field, red cross, the [[Saint George's Cross]] ([[Republic of Genoa]])
* 3rd quarter: on blue field, white [[Maltese cross]] ([[Republic of Amalfi]])
* 4th quarter: on red field, white [[Pisan cross]] ([[Republic of Pisa]])

The coat of arms is surmounted by a golden crown, which distinguishes military vessels from those of the merchant navy.

===Italian Air Force===
{{Main article|Italian Air Force}}
[[File:Aermacchi M-346 (code MT55219) arrives RIAT Fairford 13July2017.jpg|thumb|An [[Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master]] of the [[Italian Air Force]]]]
[[File:AgustaA129 01.jpg|thumb|Attack helicopter [[Agusta A129 Mangusta]] of the [[Italian Air Force]]]]

The [[Italian Air Force]] ({{langx|it|Aeronautica Militare}}; '''AM''', {{lit|military aeronautics}}) is the [[air force]] of the [[Italy|Italian Republic]]. Since its formation, the service has held a prominent role in modern [[Military history of Italy|Italian military history]]. The acrobatic display team is the {{lang|it|[[Frecce Tricolori]]}}. Italy was among the earliest adopters of military aviation. Its air arm dates back to 1884, when the [[Italian Royal Army]] ({{lang|it|Regio Esercito}}) was authorised to acquire its own air component. The Air Service ({{lang|it|[[Corpo Aeronautico Militare]]}}) operated balloons based near Rome.

In 1911, reconnaissance and bombing sorties during the [[Italo-Turkish War]] by the ''Servizio 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 by [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy|King Vittorio Emanuele III]] of the [[Kingdom of Italy]].

During the 1930s, it was involved in its first military operations in Ethiopia in 1935, and later in the [[Spanish Civil War]] between 1936 and 1939. Eventually, Italy entered [[World War II]] alongside Germany. After the armistice of 8 September 1943, Italy was divided into two sides, and the same fate befell the ''Regia Aeronautica''. The Air Force was split into the ''[[Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force]]'' in the south aligned with the Allies, and the pro-Axis ''[[Aeronautica 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 name ''Aeronautica Militare''. The [[cockade of Italy]] is one of the symbols of the Italian Air Force, and is widely used on all Italian state [[aircraft]], not only military.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latinacorriere.it/2017/04/17/san-felice-escursionista-gaeta-ferito-scende-dal-picco-circe/|title=San Felice, escursionista di Gaeta ferito mentre scende dal Picco di Circe|date=17 April 2017 |access-date=21 August 2018|language=it}}</ref>

Armed conflicts in [[Somalia]], [[Mozambique]] and the nearby [[Balkans]] led to the Italian Air Force becoming a participant in multinational air forces, [[NATO bombing of Yugoslavia|such as that of NATO]] over the former [[Yugoslavia]], just a few minutes flying time east of the [[Italian Peninsula]]. The commanders of the Italian Air Force soon saw the need to improve the Italian air defences.

===Carabinieri===
{{Main article|Carabinieri}}
[[File:Vicenza_officials_practice_for_emergencies.jpg|thumb|[[Carabinieri]] officers armed with a [[Beretta M12|Beretta PM-12]] [[submachine gun]]]]
[[File:Italian Carabinieri shows a female Afghan National Police recruit how to aim an AMD-65 at the Central Training Center in Kabul.jpg|thumb|A carabiniere shows a female Afghan National Police recruit how to aim an [[AMD-65]] at the [[Kabul]] Central Training Center in 2010 during the [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] in Afghanistan]]

The [[Carabinieri]] ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ær|ə|b|ɪ|n|ˈ|j|ɛər|i}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|US|ˌ|k|ɑːr|-}},<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190325133612/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/carabiniere "carabiniere"] (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/carabiniere |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182120/https://www.lexico.com/definition/carabiniere |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=carabiniere |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|carabiniere|accessdate=25 March 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|it|karabiˈnjɛːri|lang}}; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps")<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uz8eiwzEMHQC |first1=Ciro |last1=Paoletti |title=A Military History of Italy |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-275-98505-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stone|first1=Peter G|last2=Bajjaly|first2=Joanne Farchakh|title=The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RDttNod0xH4C&pg=PA235|year=2008|publisher=Boydell & Brewer Ltd|isbn=978-1-84383-384-0|page=235}}</ref><ref>Richard Heber Wrightson, ''A History of Modern Italy, from the First French Revolution to the Year 1850''. Elibron.com, 2005</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0oAqAAAAMAAJ |title=A new survey of universal knowledge |volume=4 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |year=1952}}</ref> are the national [[gendarmerie]] of [[Italy]] who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's main [[law enforcement]] agencies, alongside the [[Polizia di Stato]] and the [[Guardia di Finanza]]. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth [[Military branch|branch]] of the Italian Armed Forces, they come under the authority of the [[Ministry of Defence (Italy)|Ministry of Defence]]; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the [[Ministry of the Interior (Italy)|Ministry 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 through [[112 (emergency telephone number)|112]], the European Union's Single Emergency number.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Service|url=https://112.gov.it/en/service/|access-date=2021-07-26|website=NUE 112 Numero di emergenza Unico Europeo|language=en-GB}}</ref> Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for [[Military police|policing the military]], and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.

The corps was instituted in 1814 by King [[Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy]] with the aim of providing the [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]], the forerunner of the [[Kingdom of Italy]], with a police corps. It is therefore older than Italy itself. During the process of [[Italian 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 of [[Benito Mussolini]], they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded during [[World War II]] by [[Nazi Germany]], which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the [[Italian 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 92|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carabinieri.it/arma/curiosita/non-tutti-sanno-che/b/benemerita|title=Benemerita|website=www.carabinieri.it}}</ref>

The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each [[province of Italy]]. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated the local [[police station]]s and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public. They carry out peacekeeping mission abroad, such as [[Kosovo]], [[Afghanistan]], and [[Iraq]]. At the [[Sea Island, Georgia|Sea Islands Conference]] of the [[G8]] in 2004, the Carabinieri were given the mandate to establish a [[Center 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.<ref>[http://coespu.carabinieri.it/NR/rdonlyres/4F54A33F-675A-4F65-9A59-069F73B1F71E/2085/G8_Action_Plan_EN.pdf G-8 Action Plan: Expanding global capability for peace support operations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009150602/http://coespu.carabinieri.it/NR/rdonlyres/4F54A33F-675A-4F65-9A59-069F73B1F71E/2085/G8_Action_Plan_EN.pdf |date=2010-10-09 }}. [[Carabinieri]], June 2004.</ref>

==Tomb of the Unknown Soldier==
{{main|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Italy)}}
[[File:Sergio Mattarella rende omaggio al Milite Ignoto (4 novembre 2016).jpg|thumb|The [[President of Italy]] [[Sergio Mattarella]], between the [[Corazzieri]] and the [[guard of honour]], pays tribute to the [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Italy)|Italian Unknown Soldier]] at [[Altare della Patria]] in Rome during the [[National Unity and Armed Forces Day]] on 4 November 2016]]
[[File:Frecce Tricolori 2022.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Frecce Tricolori]]'', with the smoke trail representing the [[national colours of Italy]], above the [[Altare della Patria]] in Rome during the celebrations of the ''[[Festa della Repubblica]]'' on 2 June 2022]]

The [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Italy)|Tomb of the Italian Unknown Soldier]] ({{langx|it|Tomba del Milite Ignoto}}) is a [[war memorial]] located in [[Rome]] under the statue of the [[Roma (mythology)|goddess Roma]] at the [[Victor Emmanuel II Monument#Altar of the Fatherland|Altare della Patria]]. It is a ''[[sacellum]]'' dedicated to the Italian soldiers killed and missing during [[List of wars involving Italy|war]].

It is the scene of official ceremonies that take place annually on the occasion of the [[Liberation Day (Italy)|Italian Liberation Day]] (April 25), the [[Festa della Repubblica|Italian Republic Day]] (June 2) and the [[National Unity and Armed Forces Day]] (November 4), during which the [[President of the Italian Republic]] and the [[Italian order of precedence|highest offices]] of the State pay homage to the shrine of the Unknown Soldier with the deposition of a [[laurel wreath]] in memory of the fallen and missing [[Italians]] in the wars.

The reason for his strong [[symbol]]ism lies in the [[metaphor]]ical transition from the figure of the soldier to that of the [[people]] and finally to that of the [[nation]]: this transition between increasingly broader and generic concepts is due to the indistinct traits of the non-identification of the soldier.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tobia|first=Bruno|title=L'Altare della Patria|year=2011|publisher=Il Mulino|language=it|isbn= 978-88-15-23341-7|p=72}}</ref>

His tomb is a symbolic shrine that represents all the fallen and missing in the war.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/simboli/vittoriano/vittoriano.html|title= L'Altare della Patria|access-date= 1 January 2018|language= Italian|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180101194248/http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/simboli/vittoriano/vittoriano.html|archive-date= 1 January 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref name=civitavecchia>{{cite web|url= http://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/it/il-vittoriano-e-piazza-venezia|title= Il Vittoriano e piazza Venezia|date= 20 January 2015|access-date= 6 June 2017|language= Italian|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170606020741/http://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/it/il-vittoriano-e-piazza-venezia|archive-date= 6 June 2017}}</ref>

The allegorical meaning of the perpetually burning flames is linked to their symbolism, which is centuries old, since it has its origins in [[classical antiquity]], especially in the [[Funeral|cult 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 by [[Italian diaspora|Italian emigrants]] between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century for the construction of the Vittoriano.<ref name=fiamma>{{cite web|url= http://www.toscanaoggi.it/Cultura-Societa/Il-mito-della-lampada-perenne|title= Il mito della "lampada perenne"|date= 13 January 2010|access-date= 12 February 2018|language= Italian|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180212201607/http://www.toscanaoggi.it/Cultura-Societa/Il-mito-della-lampada-perenne|archive-date= 12 February 2018}}</ref>

==International stance==
[[File:Sassari Brigade on patrol, Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|Italian soldiers of the [[Mechanized Brigade "Sassari"]] in Afghanistan in 2012]]

Italy has joined in many [[United Nations|UN]], [[NATO]] and [[EU]] operations as well as with assistance to [[Russia]] and the other [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] nations, [[Middle East]] peace process, [[peacekeeping]], and combating the [[illegal drug trade]], [[human trafficking]], piracy and terrorism.

Italy did take part in the 1982 [[Multinational Force in Lebanon]] along with US, French and British troops. Italy also participated in the 1990–91 [[Gulf War]], with the deployment of eight Panavia Tornado IDS bomber jets; Italian Army troops were subsequently deployed to assist [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] refugees in northern [[Iraq]] following the conflict.

As part of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]], Italy contributed to the international operation in [[Afghanistan]]. Italian forces have contributed to [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]], the NATO force in [[Afghanistan]], and to the [[Provincial reconstruction team]]. Italy has sent 3,800 troops, including one infantry company from the [[2 Alpini Regiment|2nd 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 operation [[command hierarchy|chain of command]]. Italian forces also command a multinational engineer task force and have deployed a platoon of Carabinieri [[military police]].

The Italian Army did not take part in combat operations of the 2003 [[Iraq War]], dispatching troops only when major combat operations were declared over by the [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]. Subsequently, Italian troops arrived in the late summer of 2003, and began patrolling [[Nasiriyah]] 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 in [[Baghdad]]. Italy played a major role in the 2004–2011 [[NATO Training Mission – Iraq|NATO Training Mission]] to assist in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions.

===Current Operations===
[[File:Italian Armed Forces operations.png|thumb|450px|Operations of the Italian Armed Forces highlighted on a map of [[Afro-Eurasia]]]]
[[File:Pattugliamento strada.jpg|thumb|right|[[Alpini]] Sappers of the [[32nd Alpine Engineer Regiment]] in Afghanistan]]
[[File:MSU Mitrovica Manbox - Ibar Bridge summer 2019.jpg|thumb|[[Kosovo Force|KFOR]]-[[Multinational Specialized Unit|MSU]] Carabinieri in front of the [[New Bridge, Mitrovica|Ibar Bridge]], in [[Kosovska Mitrovica|Mitrovica]], [[Kosovo]]. (2019).]]
Since the second [[post-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.<ref name="Budget2014"/>

*{{UNO}}
**[[United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan|UNMOGIP]], since 1951 ([[India]] and [[Pakistan]])
**[[United Nations Truce Supervision Organization|UNTSO]], since 1958 ([[Israel]], [[Egypt]], [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]])
**[[United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon|UNIFIL]], since 1978 ([[Lebanon]])
**[[United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara|MINURSO]], since 1991 ([[Western Sahara]])
**[[United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus|UNFICYP]], since 2005 ([[Cyprus]])
*{{EU}}
**[[EUFOR Althea]], since 2004 ([[Bosnia and Herzegovina]])
**[[European Union Border Assistance Mission Rafah|EUBAM Rafah]], since 2005 ([[Gaza–Egypt border]])
**[[Operation Atalanta|EUNAVFOR Atalanta]], since 2008 ([[Gulf of Aden]])
**[[EUMM Georgia]], since 2008 ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]])
**[[European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo|EULEX Kosovo]], since 2008 ([[Kosovo]])
**[[EUTM Somalia]], since 2010 ([[Somalia]])
**[[EUCAP Nestor]], since 2012 ([[Indian Ocean]])
**[[EUBAM Libya]], since 2013 ([[Libya]])
*{{flag|NATO}}
**[[Kosovo Force|KFOR]], since 1999 ([[Kosovo]])
**[[Operation Sea Guardian]], since 2016 ([[Mediterranean Sea]])
*Multilateral missions
**[[Operation Cyrene]], since 2011 ([[Libya]])
**[[MIADIT Somalia]], since 2013 (Somalia and [[Djibouti]])

=== Past Operations ===
The Italian armed forces participated in 10 operations since the second [[post-war]].

*{{UNO}}
**[[United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali|MINUSMA]], 2013 - 2023 ([[Mali]])
*{{EU}}
**[[EUPOL Afghanistan]], 2007 - 2016 ([[Afghanistan]])
**[[EUCAP Sahel Niger]], 2012 - 2024 ([[Niger]])
**[[EUTM Mali]], 2013 - 2024 ([[Mali]])
**[[EUFOR RCA]], 2014 - 2015 ([[Central African Republic]])
*{{flag|NATO}}
**[[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]], 2001 - 2021 ([[Afghanistan]])
**[[Operation Active Endeavour]], 2001 - 2016 ([[Mediterranean Sea]])
**[[Operation Ocean Shield]], 2009 - 2016 ([[Gulf of Aden]])
*Multilateral missions
**[[Temporary International Presence in Hebron|TIPH-2]], 1997 - 2019 ([[West Bank]])
**[[MIADIT Palestine]], 2014 - 2023 ([[West Bank]])

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
Italian Army - 2nd Alpini Regiment soldier with a Beretta ARX-160 A2 assault rifle with an underslung GLX 160 grenade launcher during a training exercise in the Val Maira.jpg|Italian soldier with a [[Beretta ARX160]] assault rifle.
Italian Army - 4th Tank Regiment - Ariete tanks during an exercise at Capo Teulada October 2022.jpg|[[Ariete]] tank during manoeuvres.
Centauro01.JPEG|[[Centauro (Tank destroyer)|Centauro]] tank destroyer
ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (C 551).jpg|[[Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi|Giuseppe Garibaldi]] aircraft carrier.
Italian Army - Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo" Freccia IFV.jpg|[[Freccia IFV|Freccia]] Infantry fighting vehicle.
Italian Army - 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" VBM Freccia Mortar Carrier.jpg|Freccia Heavy Mortar Carrier.
Italian TAV-8B Harrier II.jpg|Italian Navy TAV-8B Harrier II aboard [[Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi|Giuseppe Garibaldi]] aircraft carrier.
Nave Duilio e Nave Bergamini.JPG|[[Italian destroyer Caio Duilio|Destroyer Caio Duilio]] and [[Italian frigate Carlo Bergamini (F 590)|Frigate Carlo Bergamini]]
Allied Spirit IV (24058403923).jpg|[[Iveco LMV]] convoy.
20150506052017!Agusta A129A Mangusta, Italy - Army (cropped).jpg|[[Agusta A129 Mangusta|A129 Mangusta]] attack helicopter.
Alpini Btn Feltre - Ex Falzarego 2011 006.jpg|Soldiers of the [[Alpini]] Battalion "Feltre", [[7th Alpini Regiment]] of the [[Italian Army]].
Salvatore Todaro (S-526).jpg|The [[Type 212 submarine|Salvatore Todaro (S-526)]] submarine.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Carabinieri.jpg|Carabinieri [[Alfa Romeo Giulia (2016)|Alfa Romeo Giulia]]
Iveco C-17.JPG|Carabinieri [[Iveco Daily]], used for emergency intervention and transport of organs
Carabinieri.motorcycle.in.rome.arp.jpg|Carabinieri motorcycle
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of Italian service weapons]]
* [[National Institute for the Honour Guard of the Royal Tombs of the Pantheon]]
* [[Uniforms of the Italian Armed Forces]]
* [[List of military equipment of Italy]]

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book| title=The Military Balance 2021| author1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| author-link1=International Institute for Strategic Studies| date=25 February 2021| publisher=[[Routledge]]| location=[[London]]| isbn=9781032012278| ref={{SfnRef|IISS|2021}}}} 


==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.difesa.it/ Official Site of Italian Ministry of Defense] {{in lang|it|en}}
* [https://www.esercito.difesa.it/ Official Site of Italian Army] {{in lang|it|en}}
* [https://www.marina.difesa.it/ Official Site of Italian Navy] {{in lang|it|en}}
* [https://www.aeronautica.difesa.it/ Official Site of Italian Air Force] {{in lang|it}}
* [https://www.carabinieri.it/ Official Site of Carabinieri] {{in lang|it}}
* [https://www.gdf.gov.it/ Official Site of Guardia di Finanza] {{in lang|it}}

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