Ministry of Defence (Italy)

Last updated
Ministry of Defence
Ministero della Difesa
Flag of the Italian Defence minister.svg
Palazzo Baracchini.jpg
Headquarters in Via XX Settembre
Ministry of the Italian Republic overview
FormedFebruary 14, 1947;77 years ago (1947-02-14)
Preceding agencies
Jurisdiction Government of Italy
HeadquartersVia XX Settembre, 8
00187 Rome
41°32′53″N12°17′36″E / 41.54806°N 12.293306°E / 41.54806; 12.293306
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
Website www.difesa.it

The Ministry of Defence (Italian : Ministero della Difesa, or MDD) is the government body of the Italian Republic responsible for military and civil defence matters and managing the Italian Armed Forces. It is led by the Italian Minister of Defence, a position occupied by Guido Crosetto since October 2022.

Contents

The Ministry of Defence was created in 1947 by the merger of the Ministry of War, Ministry of the Navy, and Ministry of Aeronautics under the De Gasperi III Cabinet.

The first Minister of Defence was Luigi Gasparotto.

History

The precursors of the Ministry of Defence were the Ministry of War and the Ministry of the Navy, among the first ministries created in the Kingdom of Sardinia. With the Italian unification, during the Cavour IV Cabinet, the division of the two ministries remained, similar to the other European government bodies. On 30 August 1925 the Mussolini Cabinet established the Ministry of Aeronautics as a third ministry with a military role; it oversaw both the Regia Aeronautica ("Royal Air Force") and civil aviation. In Mussolini's Italian Social Republic of 1943–1945, a Ministry of National Defence was created, but was abolished along with the rest of the Italian Social Republic upon the end of World War II and the Italian Civil War in 1945.

The Ministries of War, the Navy, and Aeronautics came under the control of the Italian Republic when it replaced the Kingdom of Italy in June 1946. The Decree of the Temporary Head of State n. 17 of 4 February 1947, [1] issued during the De Gasperi III Cabinet, established the merger of the Ministries of War, Navy, and Aeronautics — which, autonomously and with their own regulations, had presided over matters of military defense until then — into the unified Ministry of Defence. Upon its creation, the Ministry of Defence inherited oversight of civil aviation from the Ministry of Aeronautics, but the Italian Republic transferred the responsibilities for civil aviation to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (Italian : Ministero dei trasporti e dell'aviazione civile) in 1963. [2]

Provisions which led to the actual unification of the Ministry had been the law n. 1862 of 12 December 1962 [1] and law n. 1058 of 2 October 1964, [1] with which that delegation was renewed and extended by civil personnel in order to conform to needs derived from the organization of central and peripheral services offices, as well as of factories and military arsenals.[ cleanup needed ]

Task and functions

Flag of the Minister of Defence, established with Ministerial Decree of 23 April 2002. Flag of the Italian Defence minister.svg
Flag of the Minister of Defence, established with Ministerial Decree of 23 April 2002.

The Minister has the task of overseeing the coordination of Italian defence and he/she is in charge to report to the Parliament about the military implications of Italy, the redistribution of military expenditure and the implementation state of national defensive programmes.

This activity has to be coordinated with those of the President of the Italian Republic, who presides the Supreme Council of Defence and commands the Italian Armed Forces, [3] where the Minister is a mere competent. Minister of Defence, in relation with military magistrates and the Council of Military Judiciary, has the same function of the Italian Minister of Justice within the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM).

The Minister is also the chancellor and treasurer of the Military Order of Italy.

Organization

The Ministry of Defence has been re-organized with the Decree of the President of Republic n. 145 of 3 August 2009 [1] in offices in direct collaboration with the Minister, 9 general directions for the technical-administrative field and commands for the technical-operative field. The structure of the General Secretariat, general directions and central offices of the Ministry of Defence is regulated by Ministerial decree of 16 January 2013. [4]

Cabinet office

The cabinet office of the Ministry is formed as follows: [5]

Technical-administrative area

The technical-administrative area is organized in 4 general directions [6] and 5 technical directions: [7]

This field depends directly to the General Secretary and National Director of Weaponry, who in turn depend by the Defence Chief of Staff only for technical-operative aspects.

Technical-operative Area

The operative-military structure of the Ministry is organized as follows: [8]

The Defence General Staff (Stato maggiore della Difesa) depends directly to the Minister, with the Chief of Defence at the top who controls the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces and, limited to the technical-operative attributions, the General Secretary of Defence. [10] The Chief of Defence is responsible for the planning, predisposition and use of armed forces in their entirety, and for these activities he is supported by a Staff and a Command of Joint Operations (COI). [10]

Consultative bodies and personnel

The consultative and support bodies of the Minister of Defence are the followings:

Chief of Defence General Staff

The Italian Chief of Defence General Staff is appointed with a decree of the President of the Republic, on proposal of the Minister of Defence. [10] He has to be and officer of the Army, Navy or Air Force with the rank of generale di corpo d'armata , ammiraglio di squadra or generale di squadra aerea in standing service. [10] He depends directly to the Minister of Defence, of who he is also the higher technical-military advisor and to who he responds for the actuation of directives received. [10]

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, reunited in the committee of Chiefs of Staff, are hierarchically subordinated to the CSMD, who joins also the Supreme Council of Defence and he is replaced by the oldest in office among the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces. [10]

General Secretary and National Director of Weaponry

The General Secretary of Defence is also the National Director of Weaponry, to whom the National Direction of Weaponry (within the General Secretariat of Defence) is subordinated. This charge was established in 1965 and it has been altered several times. During the 1990s, the law n. 25 of 1997 [1] made it more agile, efficient and appropriate to new needs.

The General Secretary directly responds to the Minister of Defence for administrative competences and to the CSMD for the technical-operative ones, and he controls 9 general direction of the Ministry. Main tasks of the General Secretary of Defence are related to the actuation of directives issued by the Minister in the field of higher administration, to the operation of technical-administrative field of defence, to the promotion and coordination of technological research relative to weaponry materials. The General Secretary manages the supplying of means, materials and weapon systems for the Armed Forces, the support to the Italian defence industry and direct/indirect offsets.

Centre for Defence Higher Studies

The Centro Alti Studi per la Difesa ("Centre for Defence Higher Studies", CASD) is the highest organization of studies and training in the field of security and defence. [11] CASD has the purpose to improve knowledges and skills of higher officials and civil defence officers, refine professional training and cultural formation of officers among interforces and to elaborate studies regarding the organization of national defence and military preparation. [12]

The president of the CASD is responsible for the higher studies in the field of security and defence as well as for the training of the relative managers. He is assisted by a Staff for general support and the coordination of activities common to four independent bodies of CASD: Istituto alti studi per la difesa ("Italian Defense Higher Studies Institute", IASD), Istituto superiore di stato maggiore interforze ("Joint Services Staff College", ISSMI), Centro militare di studi strategici ("Military Centre for Strategic Studies", CeMiSS) and Centro per la Formazione Logistica Interforze ("Joint Logistics Education Centre", Ce. FLI). [11] The president is directly subordinated to the Chief of Staff and is assisted by a Directive Council he presides over, formed by IASD military and civilian Adjuvant Directors, the ISSMI Director, the CeMiSS Director acting as secretary, the CeFLI Direction and the Chief of Defence. [11]

The Directive Council examines and expresses its opinions on study programs of the two formation institutes, on activities of sessions and courses, on the evaluation system of Attending Officers and on all the organizational and functional aspects of CASD, aimed at increasing the maximum level of synergy in the use of the available human, material and financial resources. [11]

Military Justice

According to the Italian Constitution, military courts have the jurisdiction established by law during wartimes while they judge only over military crimes committed by members of the Armed Forces. [13] The relationship between the Minister of Defence, military magistrates and the Council of Military Judiciary is similar to the one between the Minister of Justice, High Council of the Judiciary and ordinary magistrates. [14]

Disciplinary proceeding involving military magistrates is regulated by laws for ordinary magistrates. The military general prosecutor at the Court of Cassation exercise the function of the Public Minister and does not take part to deliberations. [15]

Council of Military Judiciary

The Consiglio della magistratura militare ("Council of Military Judiciary", CMM) is an autonomous body with competences specular to the ordinary ones belonging to the CSM. [14] It was established with law n. 561 of 30 December 1988 [15] and it provides to assumptions, assignations, transfers, promotions, disciplinary proceeding and to every aspect involving the juridical status of military magistrates. CMM is responsible also of the provision of extrajudicial charges and it is competent on every other subject according by law. [16]

Overseen entities and controlled companies

According to law, the Ministry oversees various public and private entities

Public entities

The public entities overseen and funded by the Ministry are: [17]

Entities of Private Law

The entities of private law entities overseen and funded by the Ministry are: [23]

Shareholdings

Palaces of Armed Forces

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of Italy

The Italian Armed Forces 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 organized along military lines. 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. 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 powers to lead the war in the Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander-in-chief</span> Supreme commanding authority of a military

A commander-in-chief or supreme commander is the person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state, head of government, or other designated government official.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Italys military

The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the Regia Marina after World War II. As of August 2014, 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.

Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps general.

Italian intelligence agencies are the intelligence agencies of Italy. Currently, the Italian intelligence agencies are the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (AISE), focusing on foreign intelligence, and the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna (AISI), focusing on internal security. They form part of the Department of Information for Security, which in turn is part of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The agencies have been reorganized multiple times since the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946 to attempt to increase effectiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giampaolo Di Paola</span> Italian politician

Giampaolo Di Paola is an Italian naval officer who served in the government of Italy as minister of defense from November 2011 to April 2013. He was the Italian military's Chief of Staff from 10 March 2004 to 8 February 2008 and served as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2008 to 2011.

The Ministry of the Interior is a government agency of Italy, headquartered in Rome. It is a cabinet-level ministry of the Italian Republic. As of October 2022, Matteo Piantedosi, former Prefect of Rome, is the minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Council of Defence (Italy)</span>

The Supreme Council of Defence is an Italian institution of constitutional importance which controls the Italian Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Forces Maneuver Regiment (Italy)</span> Military unit

The Joint Forces Maneuver Regiment is a military logistics regiment of the Italian Armed Forces based in Rome. The regiment is operationally assigned to the Defense General Staff and provides the necessary transport for the staff and the Italian Ministry of Defense to operate. The regimental anniversary falls, as for all units of the Transport and Materiel Corps, on 22 May, the anniversary of the Italian Army's first major automobile use to transport reinforcements to counter the Austro-Hungarian Offensive at Asiago in 1916.

The following is the structure of the Italian Navy as of June 2020. It is considered a multiregional and a blue-water navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massimo Panizzi</span> Italian Army Major General

Massimo Panizzi is an Italian Army Lieutenant general who currently serves as the Commander of the Italian Army Territorial Command in Rome and Commander of the Military Geographic Institute in Florence. He previously served as the Italian Deputy Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee and Chief of the NATO Office of the Italian Military Delegation at NATO HQ, Brussels. He participated in numerous international military operations and he has served as the Deputy Chief of staff Support for the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Kabul. He assumed the assignment of Deputy Commander of the Military Command of the Capital in Rome on September 19, 2022. Since August 2023 he assumed the command of the Capital (Territorial) Command within the Italian Army Operational Forces HQ (Rome) and of the Military Geographic Institute (Florence).

Comando Supremo was the highest command echelon of the Italian armed forces between June 1941 and May 1945. Its predecessor, the Stato Maggiore Generale, was a purely advisory body with no direct control of the several branches of the armed forces and with very little staff. Created amidst the exigencies of World War II, Comando Supremo was a large organization with several departments and operational command of the armed forces on the active fronts. At the end of the war, it was reduced to a purely advisory role again.

The Joint Operations Headquarters is the Italian joint operational command directly reporting to the Chief of the Defence Staff. This command exercises the planning, coordination and direction of the military operations of the Italian armed forces, and on joint and multinational exercises and all activities connected to them. Through the COVI, the Chief of the Defence Staff is able to exercise his functions as Operational Commander of the Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco Maugeri</span> Italian admiral

Francesco Maugeri was an Italian admiral, head of the Servizio Informazioni Segrete during World War II and Chief of Staff of the Marina Militare between 1947 and 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudio Trezzani</span> Italian general during World War II

Claudio Trezzani was an Italian general during World War II, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Italian East Africa. After the war he became the last Chief of General Staff of the Kingdom of Italy and the first Chief of the Defence Staff of the Italian Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugenio Henke</span>

Eugenio Henke (1909-1990) was an admiral of the Italian Armed forces who served as the director of the Defense Information Service (SID) from July 1966 to October 1970. He became the Chief of Defense Staff from August 1972 to January 1975; he was the first naval officer to hold the position in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coriolano Ponza di San Martino</span> Italian general and politician (1842–1926)

Coriolano Ponza di San Martino was an Italian general and politician. He was a senator of the Kingdom and served as Minister of War in the Pelloux II, Saracco and Zanardelli governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of War (Italy)</span> Italian government agency (1861–1947)

The Ministry of War was a ministry of the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1946 and of the Italian Republic from 1946 to 1947. Under the Kingdom of Italy, it oversaw the Royal Army, while under the Italian Republic it oversaw the Italian Army. It was abolished in 1947, when it merged with the Ministry of Aeronautics and the Ministry of the Navy to form the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Aeronautics</span> Italian government agency (1925–1947)

The Ministry of Aeronautics was a department of the Kingdom of Italy, and subsequently of the Italian Republic, with jurisdiction over both military and civil aviation. Established in 1925, it was abolished in 1947 when it merged with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of the Navy to form the Ministry of Defence.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Abrogated according to the legislative decree n. 66 of 15 March 2010.
  2. "Archivio Centrale dello Stato - Guida ai Fondi - MINISTERO DEI TRASPORTI E DELL'AVIAZIONE CIVILE (1865-1960)". search.acs.beniculturali.it (in Italian). Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  3. Constitution of the Italian Republic 1947 , art. 87, § 9.
    The President shall be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, shall preside over the Supreme Council of Defence established by law, and shall make declarations of war as have been agreed by Parliament.
  4. Minister of Defence (27 March 2013). "DECRETO 16 gennaio 2013". Gazzetta Ufficiale - Serie Ordinaria (in Italian) (72). Published in Supplemento Ordinario n. 20.
  5. "Cabinet Office of the Ministry of Defence". Italian Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  6. "Direzioni Generali". Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. "Direzioni Tecniche". Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  8. "Defence General Staff". Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  9. "Joint military institutions". Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Chief of Defence - Description of the Office". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Centre for Defense Higher Studies (CASD)". Ministero della Difesa. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  12. "CASD - Missione ed organigramma". Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  13. Constitution of the Italian Republic 1947 , article 103, § 3.
    Military tribunals in times of war shall have the jurisdiction established by the law. In times of peace they shall have jurisdiction only over military offences committed by members of the armed forces.
  14. 1 2 "Giustizia Militare". Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  15. 1 2 "LEGGE 30 dicembre 1988, n. 561". Normattiva (in Italian). 30 December 1988.
  16. "Consiglio della Magistratura Militare". Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  17. "Elenco degli Enti pubblici istituiti, vigilati e finanziati dall'Amministrazione Difesa ai sensi dell'art. 22, c. 1 lett. a), D.Lgs. 33/" (PDF). Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  18. "Codice dell'ordinamento militare". Normattiva (in Italian). 15 March 2010. Art 48, Agenzia industrie difesa: 1. L'Agenzia industrie difesa, istituita [...] con personalita' giuridica di diritto pubblico, e' posta sotto la vigilanza del Ministro della difesa [...]. Scopo dell'Agenzia e' quello di gestire unitariamente le attivita' delle unita' produttive e industriali della difesa indicate con uno o piu' decreti del Ministro della difesa.[...]
  19. "La Cassa di previdenza delle F.A." Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  20. "Amministrazione e Struttura". ONFA (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  21. "Chi siamo". AECI (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  22. "Il Nostro Profilo". UITS (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  23. "Elenco degli Enti di diritto privato in controllo dall'Amministrazione Difesa ai sensi dell'art. 22, comma 1 lett. c), D.Lgs. 33" (PDF). Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  24. "DECRETO DEL PRESIDENTE DELLA REPUBBLICA 18 marzo 2013, n. 50". Gazzetta Ufficiale - Serie Generale (in Italian) (11). 14 May 2013. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  25. "Istituto Andrea Doria". Marina Militare (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.
  26. "Opera Nazionale di Assistenza per gli Orfani ed i Militari di Carriera dell'Esercito". Esercito (in Italian). Ministero della Difesa. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  27. "Difesa Servizi S.p.A." Ministero della Difesa (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-08-06.

Bibliography