Joint Special Forces Operations Headquarters (Italy)

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Joint Special Forces Operations Headquarters
Comando interforze per le Operazioni delle Forze Speciali
Active1 December 2004
CountryFlag of Italy.svg  Italy
RoleSpecial operations
Part of Joint Operations Command
Garrison/HQ Centocelle Airport, Rome, Italy
Motto(s)Etiamsi omnes, ego non
Commanders
Current
commander		 Amm. Squ. Paolo Pezzutti [1]
Notable
commanders		Marco Bertolini, Donato Marzano, Giuseppe Cavo Dragone

The Joint Special Forces Operations Headquarters (Italian : Comando interforze per le operazioni delle forze speciali, COFS) is the joint command of the Italian Armed Forces charged with overseeing the various special operations units of the Italian Armed Forces. The command is part of the Joint Operations Command and is validated as NATO Component Command. [2] COFS is headquartered at Centocelle Airport in Rome, Italy.

Contents

Mission

At the national level, COFS is the Command specifically designated in charge of planning, organizing and conducting Special Operations, [3] which include special reconnaissance, direct actions and military assistance. [4]

The COFS commander is also an advisor to the Chief of Defence in all aspects concerning Special Operations. He also assists the political-military leaders in operational decisions and deals with the procurement of materials to be adopted by the special operations forces, on the basis of specific needs expressed by the units themselves. [3]

History

The Joint Forces Command for Operations of the Special Forces was established on 1 December 2004 under the direct control of the Chief of the Defence Staff.

COFS, initially, had the objective of coordinating the missions of the two defence special forces departments: the 9th Paratroopers Assault Regiment "Col Moschin", and GOI of the COMSUBIN. In 2005 the GIS and the 17th Raiders Wing were made available to COFS for possible use. [3]

In 2006 the new command launched Operation "Sarissa", which involved the deployment and use of Task Force 45 in Afghanistan. [3]

In 2008, after a validation process, the Command was certified by NATO as a Component Command for Special Operations within the framework of the NATO Response Force.

In 2021, COFS was moved under the renewed Joint Operations Command. [5]

List of commanders

As of 2022, COFS has had seven commanders. [6]

No.CommanderTermService branch
PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeTerm length
1
No image.png
Bertolini, Marco Gen. Div.
Marco Bertolini
(born 1953)		1 December 200425 September 20083 years, 299 days Coat of arms of the Esercito Italiano.svg
Italian Army
2
160618-N-JQ675-156 Vice Adm. Donato Marzano, commander of the Italian Naval Logistics Command, addresses guests during the Great Green Fleet reception (cropped).jpg
Marzano, Donato Amm. Div.
Donato Marzano
(born 1956)		26 September 20089 October 20113 years, 13 days Coat of arms of Marina Militare.svg
Italian Navy
3
No image.png
Fioravanti, Maurizio Gen. Div.
Maurizio Fioravanti
(born 1956)		10 October 20112 November 20143 years, 23 days Coat of arms of the Esercito Italiano.svg
Italian Army
4
Giuseppe Cavo Dragone 2020 (cropped).jpg
Dragone, Giuseppe Cavo Amm. Squ.
Giuseppe Cavo Dragone
(born 1957)		3 November 201426 June 20161 year, 236 days Coat of arms of Marina Militare.svg
Italian Navy
5
No image.png
Zanelli, Nicola Gen. Div.
Nicola Zanelli
(born 1963)		27 June 201623 October 20193 years, 118 days Coat of arms of the Esercito Italiano.svg
Italian Army
6
No image.png
Lanza de Cristoforis, Nicola Gen. S.A.
Nicola Lanza de Cristoforis
(born 1963)		24 October 201919 January 20222 years, 87 days Coat of arms of the Italian Air Force.svg
Italian Air Force
7
200207-N-DF478-0051 (49524453458).jpg
Pezzutti, Paolo Amm. Squ.
Paolo Pezzutti
(born 1963)		20 January 2022Incumbent3 years, 47 days Coat of arms of Marina Militare.svg
Italian Navy

Organization

The Joint Operational Command of the Special Forces is an Operational Command that has a hierarchical structure consisting of the Commander (COMCOFS), the Deputy Commander (DCOMCOFS) and the Chief of Staff (COS). COFS represents the staff body available to the Joint Forces Operations Command on the subject of special operations and reports directly to the latter's Commander. [7]

Subordinate units

The command is responsible for the operations conducted by special forces units: [2] [8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "L'ammiraglio Paolo Pezzutti assume la guida del COFS – Analisi Difesa" (in Italian). Stato Maggiore della Difesa. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 Angioni; Silvestri (3 February 2017). Forze Speciali Italiane FS-Tier 1 (in Italian). Edizioni R.E.I. p. 14. ISBN   9782372973182 . Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ciocchetti, Tiziano (22 September 2021). "COFS: forze speciali e… forse speciali". Difesa Online (in Italian). Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "NATO – Brilliant Jump 2022 | Italian Special Operations Component Command". shape.nato.int. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  5. ↑ Ludovico, Marco (27 July 2021). "Un super comando operativo, rivoluzione alla Difesa". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "I Comandanti del COFS – Difesa.it". www.difesa.it (in Italian). Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "INTERVISTA AL COMANDANTE DEL COFS GENERALE S.A. NICOLA LANZA DE CRISTOFORIS". Airholic.it (in Italian). 5 April 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  8. ↑ "Le Unità di Forze Speciali – Difesa.it". www.difesa.it (in Italian). Retrieved 25 March 2022.
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