Combat Support Forces Command

Combat Support Forces Command
Comando delle Forze di Supporto al Combattimento
Coat of arms of the Combat Support Forces Command
Active	1 October 2016 - present
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Role	Combat support Combat service support
Size	16,000 troops ca.
Part of	Operational Land Forces Command
Garrison/HQ	Rome
Commanders
Current commander	Gen. C.A.Giuseppenicola Tota
Chief of Staff	Gen. B. Antonello Messenio Zanitti [1]
Notable commanders	Alberto Ficuciello

The Combat Support Forces Command (Italian : Comando delle Forze di Supporto al Combattimento, abbreviation: COMFORSUP COMBAT) is a higher command of the Italian Army tasked with providing support resources to the Operational Land Forces Command. ^[2]

History

The command as established on 1 October 2016 as Operational Land Forces Support Command by splitting of the Operational Land Forces Command in the Operational Land Forces Command - Army Operational Command (COMFOTER - COE) and in the Operational Land Forces Support Command itself. ^{[3] [4]}

The Operational Land Forces Support Command was established in accordance to the 2013 Revision Plan of the Ground Military Instrument of the Army Staff. The Revision Plan gave to COMFOTER SPT a chain of command independent from the Operational Forces Command, by upgrading the former Supports Command of the Land Operational Forces and placing the newly established COMFOTER SPT directly under the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. ^[5] On 1 October 2025, the command was renamed Combat Support Forces Command. ^[6]

Commanders

In its various configurations, the Operational Land Forces Support Command has had a total of ten Commanders: ^[7]

Commanders of the Operational Land Forces Command

• Ten. Gen. Alberto Ficuciello (2001 - 2003);
• Ten. Gen. Antonio Quintana (2003 - 2003);
• Gen. C.A. Cosimo D'Arrigo (2003 - 2005);
• Gen. C.A. Bruno Iob (2005 - 2008);
• Gen. C.A. Armando Novelli (2008 - 2010);
• Gen. C.A. Francesco Tarricone (2010 - 2012);
• Gen. C.A. Roberto Bernardini (2012 - 2014);
• Gen. C.A. Alberto Primicerj (2014 - 2016);
• Gen. C.A. Amedeo Sperotto (2016 - 2018);
• Gen. C.A. Giuseppenicola Tota (2018 - 2020);
• Gen. C.A. Massimo Scala (2020 - )

Commanders of the Operational Land Forces Support Command:

• Gen. C.A.Amedeo Sperotto (2016 - 2018); ^{[4] [8] [9]}
• Gen. C.A.Giuseppenicola Tota (2018–2020). ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Mission

The Combat Support Forces Command is a management, coordination and control body of the tactical and logistic support Commands and Units of the Italian Army. ^[2] The Command is also responsible for the preparation of these Units and Commands, subject to an operational use both nationally ^[12] and internationally. ^[2]

Organization

The Combat Support Forces Command is subordinated to the Operational Land Forces Command and based in Rome. ^[2] The Commander makes use of several subordinate bodies to direct the complex of activities entrusted and the subordinate units and commands: ^[13]

• Commander area;
• Office of the Commanding General;
• Administration Office;
• Chief of Staff - Coordination Section of the General Staff;
• Planning, Programming and Budget Office;
• Legal affairs Office;
• Plans and Situation Office;
• Training Office;
• Security Office;
• Personnel Office;
• Logistic Office;
• General Affairs Office;
• Studies, Regulations and Lessons Learned Office;
• Command Unit.

The Command controls a total of approximately 16,000 troops. ^[2]

Organization

Combat Support Forces Command organization 2025 (click to enlarge)

As of 2025 the Combat Support Forces Command consists of the following five commands at brigade-level: ^[2]

• Artillery Command (Bracciano)
• Anti-aircraft Artillery Command (Sabaudia)
• Engineer Command (Rome)
• Signal Command (Rome)
• Tactical Intelligence Brigade (Anzio)
• Cecchignola Base Command, in Rome-Cecchignola (Lazio)
  • Support Regiment "Cecchignola", in Rome-Cecchignola (Lazio) (supporting the commands, schools and units based at the Cecchignola military base)

See also

• Structure of the Italian Army
• Military aid to the civil power
• Operational Land Forces Command

References

1. "Avvicendamento al comando Artiglieria Controaerei, il generale Antonello Messenio Zanitti cede il comando al parigrado Fabrizio Argiolas". -Military News from Italy- (in Italian). 8 October 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
2. "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
3. "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri e Comando Operativo Esercito - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
4. Casoli, Paola (3 October 2016). "COMFOTER: cambio comando, al gen Primicerj subentra il collega Sperotto. E il COMFOTER si trasforma in comando di supporto". Paola Casoli Blog (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
5. Scarpitta, Alberto (12 May 2017). "Il Comando Forze Operative Nord – Analisi Difesa" (in Italian). Analisi Difesa. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
6. "Comando delle Forze di Supporto al Combattimento". Italian Army. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
7. "I Comandanti - Esercito Italiano". www.esercito.difesa.it (in Italian). Esercito Italiano. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
8. Casoli, Paola (28 September 2016). "COMFOTER, cambio al vertice: il gen Primicerj cede il comando al collega Sperotto". Paola Casoli Blog (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
9. "Passaggio di consegne al comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto". Difesa Online (in Italian). 3 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
10. Cannataro, Francesca (4 July 2018). "Il Generale Giuseppenicola Tota prende il Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto". Report Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
11. Casoli, Paola (4 July 2018). "COMFOTER SPT: la cerimonia del passaggio di consegne tra il gen Sperotto e il gen Tota". Paola Casoli Blog (in Italian).
12. "L'Esercito fa il buon Samaritano". La Cronaca di Verona (in Italian). 20 May 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
13. "Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri di Supporto". www.difesa.it (in Italian). Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 27 July 2020.