Operational Land Forces Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri, COMFOTER) is the Italian Army's major command tasked with the operational and administrative control of most of its combat forces. COMFOTER reports directly to the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. The command is based in Rome.
The Operational Land Forces Command traces its origins back to the Operational Land Forces Command established in 1997.
1997 - 2016: Operational Land Forces Command
The Operational Land Forces Command (Italian: Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri, COMFOTER) was established in Verona on 1 October 1997 following the reform of the military who attributed hierarchical supremacy of the Chief of the Defence Staff. It brought together in a single organization all the units engaged in combat, combat support, combat service support and in communication and information systems, which together amounted to about 80% of the Italian Army. Initially it was part of the Allied Land Forces Southern Europe (LANDSOUTH), with whom he shared the headquarters of the command, which then broke away, when the Allied Land Forces Command in Southern Europe in 2004 was transferred to Madrid, and had four commands:
The headquarters of COMFOTER in Verona was Carli Palace, even if the command department is located at the Dalla Bona barracks of Verona.[1]
2016 - present: Operational Land Forces Command
The Operational Land Forces Command was established on 1 October 2016, after the splitting of the Operational Land Forces Command in the Operational Land Forces Command (COMFOTER) itself and in the Operational Land Forces Support Command.[2][3]
The 2013 Revision Plan of the Ground Military Instrument of the Army Staff gave to the Operational Land Forces Support Command (COMFOTER SPT), to the Operational Forces Command - North (COMFOP NORD), to the Operational Forces Command - South (COMFOP SUD) and to the Alpine Troops Command (COMTA) a chain of command independent from the COMFOTER, while maintaining the newly established COMFOTER COE directly under the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army.[4]
In May 2023 the two deployable division commands "Acqui" and "Vittorio Veneto", as well as the Army Simulation and Validation Center were assigned to the Operational Land Forces Command and Army Operational Command.[5] On 1 July 2023 the Capital Military Command was merged into the Operational Land Forces Command and Army Operational Command, which on the same date changed its name to Operational Land Forces Command.[6]
List of commanders
The Operational Land Forces Command had nine Commanders:
The Operational Land Forces Command plans, organizes and conducts the delegated operations by delegation of the Chief of the Defence Staff or the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operational Command (VCOM OPS).[8]
The Command constitutes the ground-based component command of the Deputy Commander of the Joint Operational Command for the planning, organization, conduct and support of operations that do not require a deployed land component command or plan, organize and monitor the phases that precede the deployment of a land component command in readiness.[8]
For operational aspects, although the COMFOTER-COE no longer has direct responsibility for the various Maneuver Brigades, it remains responsible for elaborating guidelines for preparing and training the Commands and Units, supervising and generating the forces and contingent planning engaged in national and international missions and operations.[4]
Organization
The Commander of the Operational Land Forces Command controls both units and commands and a direct-collaboration military apparatus.
Operational Land Forces Command
The Operational Land Forces Command is subdivided in some subordinate bodies:[9][10]
The Italian Army is the 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, Libya, 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 vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank and among its aircraft the 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 personnel.
Surveillance and target acquisition (STA) is a military role assigned to units and/or their equipment. It involves watching an area to see what changes (surveillance) and then the acquisition of targets based on that information.
The Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore" is an airborne brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units are three battalions of paratroopers (paracadutisti). The name "Folgore" is Italian for lightning. The Folgore is one of three light infantry brigades of the Italian Army. While the Folgore specializes in parachute operations its sister brigade in the Division "Vittorio Veneto" the Airmobile Brigade Friuli specializes in helicopter assault operations. The Folgore and its units are based in Tuscany, Veneto and Lazio.
The article provides an overview of the entire chain of command and organization of the Italian Army after the reform of 1 May 2024 and includes all active units as of 1 May 2024. The Armed Forces of Italy are under the command of the Italian Supreme Defense Council, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic. The Italian Army is commanded by the Chief of the Army General Staff or "Capo di Stato Maggiore dell’Esercito" in Rome.
The Airmobile Brigade "Friuli" is an airmobile brigade of the Italian Army, based mainly in the Emilia-Romagna region. The brigade was part of the 1st Defence Forces Command until it was transferred to the Division "Friuli". The brigade's coat of arms depicts a stylized version of the Rocca di Monfalcone castle near the city of Monfalcone in the Friuli region, where the brigade distinguished itself during World War I. Since 1 July 2019 the brigade is part of the Division "Vittorio Veneto".
The 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment "Aldebaran" is an Italian Army regiment based at Viterbo Airport in Lazio. The regiment is part of the army aviation and assigned to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". The regiment supports the special forces and ranger regiments of the Army Special Forces Command. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army aviation units, on 10 May 1953, the day the aviation speciality was founded.
The Army Aviation Brigade was the Italian Army's aviation brigade. Four of the army's six aviation regiments were part of the brigade, while two aviation regiments were part of the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". On 1 October 2023 the brigade was merged into the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".
The Army Special Forces Command in Pisa is a brigade-level command of the Italian Army, which is responsible for the training, preparation, doctrinal and procedural development, and the materiel acquisition of the army's special forces and special operation forces. Operationally the units of the Army Special Forces Command fall under the Joint Special Forces Operations Command. The command was activated on 19 September 2014 in Pisa.
The 1st Army Aviation Regiment "Antares" is an Italian Army regiment based at Viterbo Airport in Lazio. The regiment is part of the Italian army aviation and assigned to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". Formed in 1976 as heavy lift aviation unit the regiment has been equipped since its formation with CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army aviation units, on 10 May 1953, the day the aviation speciality was founded.
The 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio" is an Italian Army regiment based at Lamezia Terme Airport in Calabria. The regiment is part of the army aviation and assigned to the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli". Formed in 1996 the regiment is responsible for helicopter operations in southern Italy and on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. The regiment, together with the 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair", constitutes the Italian Army's general support aviation capability. The regiment's anniversary falls, as for all Italian Army aviation units, on 10 May 1953, the day the aviation speciality was founded.
The 1st Army Aviation Support Regiment "Idra" is an Italian Army unit based at the "Oscar Savini" Airfield in Manziana in Lazio. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's army aviation and assigned to the Army Aviation Support Brigade. The regiment provides 2nd-line maintenance, upgrade and test services for the A109 and AB 206 helicopters, which are in service with the Army Aviation Training Center at Viterbo Airport, and for the AB 205A, AB 212, and AB 412 helicopters, which are in service with the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment "Sirio", 4th Army Aviation Regiment "Altair", and 3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment "Aldebaran".
The 4th Army Aviation Support Squadrons Group "Scorpione" is an Italian Army unit based at Viterbo Airport near Rome in Lazio. The squadrons group is part of the Italian Army's army aviation and assigned to the Army Aviation Support Brigade. The squadrons group provides 2nd-line maintenance, upgrade and test services for the CH-47F Chinook helicopters, Shadow 200 drones, and P180 Avanti II and Dornier 228 planes of the 1st Army Aviation Regiment "Antares", and to the army's flight simulators.
The Engineer Command in Rome-Cecchignola commands the specialized engineer regiments of the Italian Army and it is tasked with training of all officers and troops destined for engineer units, as well as with both doctrinal and operational tasks.
The Artillery Command is an Italian Army command, which trains the personnel destined for the army's artillery units, develops the army's artillery doctrine, and supervises the Italian army's artillery units.
The Signal Command is a signals formation of the Italian Army. The Signal Command was established in Rome on 1 January 2017 following the disestablishment of the Army Information and Signals Command and of the Signals Brigade.
The Operational Land Forces Support Command is a major subdivision of the Italian Army tasked with providing support resources to the Operational Land Forces Command.
The Artillery School was the training establishment of the Arm of Artillery of the Italian Army.
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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.
The 9th Cybernetic Security Regiment "Rombo" is a cyber warfare unit of the Italian Army based in Cecchignola in Rome. The regiment is part of the Signal Arm and assigned to the Tactical Intelligence Brigade. The regiment is tasked with performing cyber operations related to the defence of the Italian Army's IT networks and Command-and-Control systems, and with the protection of critical infrastructures, platforms and weapon systems.
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